Need
by GabrielleBlue
Summary: Sookie and Eric broke up three months ago, but one night, she realizes there's nothing else she wants, but him. Will he take her back?
1. The End, The Start

Hey everyone! This itsy bitsy story had been eating at my brain for an entire day. Whatever I did, I couldn't shake it off, it was calling for me to write it, pulling at my hand and urging me to sit at the computer and type type type. So I did.

For those of you who have me on alert and were hoping for a _Songs of Our Life_ update, I'm sorry. It's coming! I just had to get this out of my system. As always for me, this story started out from a song on repeat and repeat and repeat. This time it was** "Need You Now" from Lady Antebellum.** I heard it somewhere and it just stuck with me. So play that if you want.

Big thanks to Anne (Northwomn) for betaing this for me. I love you, hon!

**UPDATE: Due to a gazillion million (yeah, not that many, but still...) reviews and people that asked me to continue this story, I am announcing that I will write new chapters soon. The story line is still in the works for now, so it might take me a while to get to it, but I will continue it, nonetheless. In the meanting, check out my other vampire-Sookie story - Eternal Night, or my all-human one Songs of Our Life. **

**xoxo**

**Gaby**

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><p><strong>SPOV<strong>

I was a little tipsy tonight. Not drunk, just tipsy. I was all alone on New Year's Eve, so who wouldn't drink a bit, right? The workday hadn't been any easier, considering I knew I would be on my own tonight and seeing how everyone else had plans. I was wearing a t-shirt and a pair of boyshorts, prancing around the living room with a glass of red wine, swaying to some song on the radio.

I knew I could use some sleep after the day I'd had, but I also didn't want to go to bed. The image of Eric haunted me from the fireplace mantle and I felt the need to turn my back to the photographs. Such beautiful memories.

Eric and I had broken up three months ago. Well, rather, I broke up with him. I couldn't bear it anymore, all these supernatural troubles coming undone in my front yard. Or back yard. Whichever. I just wanted space. I couldn't have fairies and vampires dying on my grass anymore. I couldn't have Were blood on my hands anymore. I just didn't want to deal with any of it anymore. I wanted to be away from it all, so I ran. I made the decision that broke my heart and Eric's. It was for my own safety, I thought.

Closing the bond had been the hardest thing to do, especially since Eric's feelings had become such an integrated part of me. I knew we'd forever be bound like this, but I also knew we needed to be apart if I wanted to ever grow old. I sure didn't want to die at my age and with my streak of luck and habit, it seemed more and more likely I wouldn't be able to dodge the bullet forever. Since the past three months had been so quiet, I knew that it was working and the supes were either forgetting about me or avoiding me, or lurking for an opportunity.

So here I was, heartbroken, alone and completely unhappy. What the hell was I doing? I caught my reflection in the dark windows and I was not surprised to see my shoulders slumped forward. That's how I've been carrying myself lately. Even the tips were lousy when I wasn't smiling.

What the hell was I doing? I was staying away from the only person I loved so I'd get to live as a human and grow old. For whom? I thought I had been doing it for myself, but it seemed now, alone in my living room on New Year's Eve, that I had taken the decision for fear of what other's thought.

Everyone thought badly of Eric, but I knew better, right? Sure, he could be a conniving, manipulative, high-handed scary motherfucker, but he could also be gentle, generous and loving when he was with me. I missed him so much, especially since tonight would have been our anniversary of sorts. I couldn't keep my mind away from him. Everything reminded me of him. The red coat in the coat rack by the door, the old, fugly afghan on the arm of the sofa… even my own hair color made me think of him. He tried, he truly did try, to make me change my mind, but I'm too stubborn for my own good sometimes. I felt like slapping myself over the head. I knew Gran would have done it.

I wanted to crawl up the couch and cry myself to sleep, hoping I'd wake up from this nightmare I wove for myself; I wanted him to come running, swoop in and hold me in his arms; I wanted to go to him. All these urges at once were confusing me.

I slumped on the couch and watched the fire dance as I spun the blood-red wine in the glass, tears trickling down my cheeks.

I knew that if I stayed here, I'd probably be safe from the supernatural world and whoever wanted to use me next, for a while, but I wasn't stupid enough to really, really believe I was safe forever. They always came back. Always.

I knew Eric wouldn't come running to me now, not after the way I broke his heart. And it didn't help that I took back his invitation. He had trusted me… the first person in a millennium he trusted with his heart and I went and stomped all over it. And for what? To stay with my friends and family here, in Backwater, Louisiana. I had refused to move in with him so I could stay here, in this musty, rattling house by myself, refused his gifts so other people wouldn't think poorly of me, refused his job offer so Sam wouldn't consider me a whore and I rejected him when all he ever wanted was to care for me. Me, a telepathic barmaid in a place you had to use a magnifier to find on a map.

I wanted to go after him, find him, make him mine again, but I didn't think he'd take me back. There I was, talking like a vampire. "Mine". One little word that got me all ruffled up whenever he had used it, somehow refusing to see what an honor it was to be his. It wasn't just that I was his, he belonged to me also, but I never saw it like that. I guess I never really believed he could love me.

Also, I knew if I did go after him, it couldn't be like it has been until now… I had to give myself completely. I had to move in with him, accept his job offer and, most importantly, really let him love me. I had to forget anyone but him. He had done that for me time and time again, and he was seen as weak by other vampires because of his feelings for me, but he didn't care.

Was I ready to do that? Or could I just stay here, away from it all. Why did I always have to have the last word in everything? Relationships should be about giving and taking. Both ways. I saw now, he had always been the one to give. I had done all the taking, never giving anything back. I never even actually told the man I loved him, for God's sake. I needed him so much.

The fact that no one had invited me to a New Year party told me a lot about the people I was sacrificing my love for. The fact I was alone tonight told me even more. There had only been one invitation in my mail box and that was with the Fangtasia logo all over it. I thought it was from Pam. Eric couldn't have sent it after the way I acted with him. Could he?

Goddamnit! I was miserable without him. Was I ready to give myself to him completely? Would he even take me back?

I glanced at the clock and I saw it was a little after one o'clock. I wasn't even tipsy anymore as my glass had gone forgotten during my mental drabble. I wanted to get ready and leave the house, drive to Fangtasia and jump him; give myself completely to him. This was no way of living – unhappy, sorrowful, unloved. I wanted more. I wanted to do what was right for my heart.

For the first time in all these months I did something I had vowed to never do again. I opened the bond and felt for Eric.

He was just as miserable as I was, it seemed. Bored. His mind perked up all of a sudden. He felt me. I knew it. He must have sensed my sorrow, because his side of the bond enveloped mine. Caressed it. It seemed like he was giving me a hug, the hug I had been longing for.

Without another thought, I got up and went to my bedroom, picking out a dress. I went to the bathroom and fixed my hair and put on a little make up. I was freshly waxed all over, so at least I didn't have to bother with that tonight. I felt like I was in a trance as I got dressed and ready to go. I was only now realizing how much I had missed Eric's presence in my mind.

The dress I picked was a one-shoulder, silk, burgundy, flowy gown. There was a big brooch on the shoulder and a black sash over my waist. I pulled out a pair of black pumps that Pam had gifted me with last year and I never got to wear. I switched my cellphone and keys to the matching clutch, got something from the back of my dresser and headed for the door. I remembered to put out the fire and get the invitation from the kitchen table before getting back to the door, picking out my burgundy coat and heading out.

I realized I had a smile on my face as I took in the fresh air of the night. I felt free. Liberated. I had made my decision and as far as I felt, Eric had only encouraged me to go meet him. I was done trying to keep my feelings in check.

I got in my car and drove to Shreveport. I gnawed on my lip and thought about what I was about to say to Eric. The road was clear and I soon found myself in front of Fangtasia. I knew he was inside. I felt him. There was a mixture of boredom and excitement, warmth and longing coming from him. I took a deep breath and got out of the car, careful not to dirty my gown.

I walked pass the fangbangers waiting to get in, even tonight. At least they were dressed a tad more formal than usual. Pam was manning the door and she smirked when she saw me.

"Oh, thank fuck you're here. He's inside," she told me and I smiled at her.

"I missed you too, Pam," I told her and she winked at me. I knew she couldn't say anything in front of so many fangbangers, but she squeezed my arm as I passed her and I knew she had missed me too.

He perked up in his high chair when he sensed me in the bar. The dance floor was packed with vampires and humans, moving in the dim light. He rose to his impressive height and his eyes searched for me through the crowd. I opened up my coat as I made my way to him, the air stale with sweat, blood and cigarette smoke. I felt hot all over and I had no idea if it was because of the temperature in the bar or Eric's presence.

A small smirk played at his lips as he approached me and we met halfway on the dance floor. He offered me his hand and I took it and he pulled me close as we started dancing. It was the same song I had been swaying to at home.

His arms came around me and I let out a small sigh. I was home again. We hadn't gotten to talking yet, but even if he would reject me I'd at least have this to remember on my lonely nights. As soon as the dance was over he looked into my eyes and motioned for the offices with his head, a question in his eyes. I nodded and he dragged me onto the corridor. Instead of walking into his office I tugged on his head hand and motioned for the back door leading into the parking lot.

He smiled and followed me to his car instead. He opened my door and helped me settle in before zooming to his side. He put the car in drive and headed for the main road. We stole glances at one another, each probing the bond for the other's feelings. We had yet to speak when he was almost to the road leading to Bon Temps.

"Where to?" he asked.

"Home," I answered softly to him.

He made a move to pull to the right, but I put my hand over his.

"Home, Eric," I repeated and realization dawned on him. He smiled at me and continued driving to his house in the outskirts of Shreveport.

He held onto my hand until he parked in his driveway. He came around and swooped me up, bridal style and he carried me to the door. He opened it and crossed me the threshold as I got myself lost in the way he smelled, my face close to his neck. He closed the door with his foot and carried me to the den where he settled me on the couch. I shrugged off my coat and put it on the back of the couch before my eyes found his again.

He sat on the floor, next to the sofa and kept looking at me, his thumb running circles over the back of my hand. Eric opened his mouth to speak, but I put a finger on his lips to shush him.

"I need to talk and I need you to listen, ok? I need to get this out.

"First of all, I'm sorry, Eric. I'm terribly, terribly sorry for everything I've said and everything I've done. It's been very childish and stupid of me. I shouldn't have thrown you out, I shouldn't have asked you to never think of me again, I never should have done what I did. I thought I was doing the right thing, but the only thing I managed to actually do was break both our hearts.

"I love you. I love you so much it hurts to breathe when you're not around. I love you so much it hurts to even think of you. I love you so much that I can't even look at a picture of you, of us, without wanting to burst into tears. I miss you and I need you. I've nearly called you so many times, I was just so stubborn. I'm done running. I want to be yours again and I want you to be mine. I'm finally ready to give myself to you completely. If you'll have me, that is…" I poured my heart out.

He had been quiet through my entire declaration, rubbing my hand softly. He was smiling now and his hands lifted to my face slowly. He leaned in and his lips brushed mine lightly, before pressing more fully. I let out a happy sigh, content to feel his lips once more, content with having him so close to me again. I wanted to feel all of him, but he pulled away.

"Your apologies are accepted, Sookie. I have been waiting for you and I'd have waited for you forever if that's how long it took you to realize your feelings. I've spent a thousand years without you and yet, these past few months have seemed the longest in my existence. I love you too, dear one, and I'm happy to know you feel the same. Of course I'll have you. You're all I ever want," he told me and I thought I wasn't hearing right. He had really forgiven me. I knew there was a big smile on my face cause his smile was just as big.

"I meant what I said. I'm done running. I'm getting my stuff tomorrow if you'll make room for some clothes of mine. I'll quit my job at Merlottes cause I know now you didn't want me to do it because you hated Sam, but because you wanted us to have more time together. If I work at Fangtasia we'll have just that. I love you, oh how I love you," I told him, like I couldn't repeat it enough times to make up for the lost time.

I reached into my purse and brought out the little tissue that kept the bullet he'd taken for me in Texas. I handed it to him and his eyes widened. His nostrils flared as he took his own scent over the metal.

"Even then, I knew I should be yours. I kept that because I knew I'd need reminders when times got rough. You sacrificed so much for me, you've given yourself to me and now I'm returning the gesture," I told him.

"I did not know you had kept this. Oh, Sookie. I don't know what to say. I'd say I'm sorry I tricked you into taking my blood that night, but I can't," he said.

"I'm not either," I interrupted. He really did not need to say any more.

"I missed you, Lover," he said before leaning forward and kissing me again.

My arms linked around his neck, praying he didn't pull away again. He didn't, but he scooped me up and took the stairs to his… our, bedroom. Our kisses grew in passion and his hands started traveling my body frantically when he put me on my feet at the end of the bed.

He untied my sash as I started unbuttoning his black shirt. His hands found the brooch on my shoulder and opened it and the dress fell to my feet. He broke the kiss and took a step back, taking in my lingerie. I had a strapless push up bra on that made my boobs look even bigger than they were and a small thong that matched the bra. I had on black thigh-high stockings that made him lick his lips.

My hands went to his shoulders and I helped him shrug off the shirt he had on, before fumbling with his belt and zipper, dropping his pants. He had gone commando again and my breath hitched as I saw how hard he was for me. He walked me back until my knees hit the bed and I fell onto the soft mattress with him over me.

"That dress is wonderful, by the way," he told me as he licked my neck.

My back arched off the sheets and our chests came in contact. I felt like I was wearing too many clothes.

"I was thinking of you when I bought it," I told him honestly.

"I know. I can tell," he said and he lifted off of me and his hands trailed my chest, joining between my breasts and ripping off my bra.

I was about to protest, but his lips closed around my nipple and I forgot anything I wanted to say.

"I've missed you so much, Lover," he said and I moaned as one of his fangs nicked my breast.

"Eric," I breathed out. I wanted nothing more, but to be his tonight and forever. _Forever_. I breathed out the last word and he growled into my skin.

"Yes. I would keep you forever if you will let me," he said and started traveling down my body as his hands caressed each surface he found.

"Forever," I moaned again as his hand swiped over the front of my panties.

He stopped altogether and I opened my eyes, finding him looking at me with a question in his gaze.

"Mine or yours, Lover? I need to know," he pressed, his voice so deep it made me shiver.

"Yours. I want it to be mine as well. Ours," I told him, caressing his cheek.

I had decided I was done running. I had decided I was all in and I knew this was the most important decision I needed to make. None of those who I was trying to preserve my humanity for were close to me anymore and those that truly loved me would still be there for me after the change. Sure, I could remain human and be with Eric, but why make him suffer through me getting old and dying? So many vampires had been driven to insanity when their bonded died… I did not want that for Eric. Plus, it was a safety advantage as well, since I'd be able to better protect myself if someone came for me. That is, if I would keep my telepathy through the change. But 99% of my decision, centered on Eric. I wanted him, needed him, forever. Our time apart had taught me I really couldn't have enough of him. It had been hell and I never wanted to feel that way again.

"Lover, don't joke," he said, his side of the bond sending contradicting vibes. He felt exalted and thrilled and happy, but he was also trying to restrain himself, it seemed.

"I would not joke, Eric. Not about this. I want to be yours in every way. Your lover, your bonded, your pledged, your childe…"

His lips crashed on mine and the passion and love he was sending me had me dizzy. His thumbs found the sides of my panties and he snapped the elastic, leaving me bare. He drew circles around my clit and he had me moaning his name in between kisses in no time. He plunged a finger in, fucking me slowly, and then added another and another, preparing me for his size.

"Eric, please, don't tease," I begged, not even caring at this moment.

He settled between my legs and plunged in before I could say anything else. A deep moan escaped my throat and my eyes rolled in the back of my head. He went slowly at first, reacquainting ourselves with each other, but it was like riding a bicycle. It seemed that no time had passed. He picked up speed and fucked me as his hands kept reaching for any piece of skin he could reach. His lips were on mine, on my neck, on my chest and shoulders, on my nipples and in the valley between my breasts.

I felt my orgasm closing in and my nails dug into his shoulders.

"Do it now, Eric. Jag älskar dig," I moaned out and he growled into my neck. He bit down and I came, constricting around him, pulling him with me into bliss. He drank deeply and kept on pulling from the wound until I was barely conscious. I felt something wet against my lips and instinctively opened them, letting Eric's blood pool down my throat.

"Come back to me. I need you, Lover," he whispered, before darkness took me.

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><p>Leave me some reviews and tell me what you think of it. Pretty please with a Viking on top!<p>

xoxo

Gaby


	2. Night and Day

*enters the room and gives a small wave* Hi everyone! Remember me? Yep, I'm sorry, I dropped off the face of the earth. I know I promised updates, but I've just been very very busy and my muse ran away. Hopefully that time is over and here is something a lot of you wanted and requested and I sincerely hope you all like it. I cannot wait to have you all back in my life again.

I promise to get my ass in the game again and you better pester me about it.

_I own nothing, CH does, unfortunately since she'd never turn Sookie, right? _

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><p>The loss of my Maker was a big cause of pain for me and a relief at the same time. Vampires as old as I should not have Makers that are still alive. There comes an age when one does not like the idea of another having that amount of control over you.<p>

I knew he would come some day. He'd done if before. He released me to my own when he got bored of me and then he'd find his way back to torment me time and time again, knowing there was nothing I could do against him.

Appius never cared much for my wellbeing. At over two thousand years he was a selfish creature, as I suspected I'd turn if I ever reached that age.

I had lost my Maker and I had lost Sookie. The two emotions, though very different, left me empty and mournful. I resented Sookie for leaving me, although I could certainly understand her decision. Bad things have happened to her ever since she was exposed to the supernatural world, but her approach to the situation was not the best.

Also, and most importantly, I resented Appius. He was the one vampire I feared most in the world for what he'd done to me after my wake and for the many centuries that followed. He tortured me, physically and mentally. I could not find myself sorry for his death, despite the pain I'd felt when he met his final death.

I was relieved he no longer had control over me and I hated him for being the drop that toppled Sookie's glass. The way I saw it, and this is solely because I was trying to find a person responsible for our separation, he was the reason I was not with my bonded in this very second.

While I hated most human holidays because they had no meaning behind them other than consumer bullshit, I appreciated the age-old New Years. All cultures celebrate the passing of time and although I usually kept away from the rowdy crowds in such night, somehow I didn't want to be alone tonight. Not that I'd ever admit that to anyone.

Gods know Pam would never shut up about it.

I had been in my chair for a few hours when I felt it. A window opened in a stuffy home. A beacon of light in the darkness. Sookie's side of the bond was open.

Was she in trouble, I asked myself immediately, but tried to keep my feelings in check. Perhaps she had simply lost control of the wall she had learnt to build.

I allowed myself to analyze what she was feeling and found loneliness, longing, love and sorrow. I missed her. Eric fucking Northman, older than dirt itself, missed the Bon Temps troublemaker. I admitted it and I felt no shame. She had awoken feelings inside me that I knew nothing of until I met her. She was my bonded and my pledged and I would protect her until I would meet my final death, for I knew, just as sure as I knew night followed day, that I'd follow her just the same. A creature of the night following one in love with sunshine. I'd only live long enough to bury her.

I knew I was risking scaring her away and making her retreat in her own little shell again, but I allowed my feelings to reach her, comfort her as I would have if I were in front of her. I felt her surprise before she reigned it in and then her feelings shifted to determination.

I could tell she wasn't moving great distances so I could only assume she was still at home. I didn't dare probe for her feelings further than what was at the surface. I was afraid I'd misunderstand her and make a fool of myself. I'd wait for her until the world stopped spinning, but my ego had been hurt by her decision and I would not be the one to take the first step.

As it was, I felt like a sitting duck. The second Felipe and Victor figured out I had lost the so-called control I had over Sookie, they'd send someone to take me out and someone to pick her up and transport her to Vegas. I was of no use to them if I the masks were dropped and all was exposed.

I'd like to see them try, I smirked at my thoughts. Sure, I was cocky, but I was also level-headed enough to know I'd survive anything they lashed on. Their fates however were yet under the hammer. The only reason I was taking all their bullshit was because I didn't particularly want to be king. However, if I had my way they'd never see my bowed head again. I was older and more powerful than both of them combined.

The distance between Sookie and I was shortening fast. I tried to keep my composure as I felt her getting nearer and nearer. Pam must have felt my mood because she poked her head through the door and raised an eyebrow in my direction. I nodded slowly at her and motioned for her to return outside.

If Sookie was to enter the bar I didn't want her to have any trouble from the fangbangers at the door. Gods know they can be annoying leeches when they're happy. I don't even want to think at the things Sookie will be able to read from them as she cuts the line.

If she ever entered, that is. I was prepared to let her have five minutes outside and then I'd go after her. She surprised me, however, as she never hesitated. Determination was still her most prominent feeling as she walked through the door. Then it was like a dam broke. I closed my eyes for a second, trying to filter through everything she was sending me.

My eyes locked on hers and I rose to my feet, moving through the crowd towards her. She opened her coat and exposed the dress she had underneath it. She looked breathtaking, pun intended. The color suited her well and it made her hair and eyes stand out. In a mass of black and leather she looked like a goddess.

She smiled at me and I felt alive again. My life seemed to have a purpose again, but I would not let myself get excited over nothing. I wanted nothing more than to kiss her and feel her body against mine, preferably without clothes on, but I simply offered her my hand.

Sookie took it with a smile and I pulled her closer, smirking as I heard her let out a small sigh, as she lay her head on my chest. The bond told me she was content in my arms and I couldn't help but agree with her. This was best.

We swayed to the beats of the song, softly moving from one side to the other, not really dancing. The entire club was looking at us and I couldn't bring myself to care. Let them be jealous, let them watch as I danced with my bonded. I dared them to interrupt.

The second the song ended I motioned for her to join me in the back office. We needed to talk and here was not the place. The bar had too many eyes and too many sensitive ears that would pick up on anything that passed our lips.

I was surprised, however, when we reached the hall and she pulled me towards the back exit and the parking lot. I followed her and helped her in the car. Not one word. Not a single thing had passed her painted lips.

I went to the other side and slid into the car as well and put it in drive. I stole glances at her as I drove and probed the bond as soft as I could. I had no idea what to expect of her. Was this simply because she felt alone tonight, or did she really miss me? Was she going to say she was leaving for Fairy or to another country or that she was coming back to me. Would Sookie break me or make me, was what it summed at.

As we approached the right turn that would take us back to Bon Temps I asked where to take her.

"Home," she said softly and my stomach tightened as I turned the steering wheel in the direction of Bumfuck. I felt her hand over mine, her warmth spreading into my skin and burning like only her touch could.

"Home, Eric," she said again and I smiled as I understood what she had said.

Taking Sookie at her home would have meant our relationship was truly, really over. She'd have wanted to be on her own turf if she was going to give me bad news.

My mood was improving more and more as I felt her tranquil state. One of my homes, the one I enjoyed most, was in the outskirts of Shreveport and that's where I was going. Soon, I was parked in front of the house and I zipped to her side to help her out.

She gladly took my hand as I helped her up of the car, but I had no excuse for what I did next. I scooped her up, bridal style as they call it nowadays, and carried her into the house. I nearly tripped as her face nuzzled in my neck and she took in deep breaths of my shirt and skin.

I put her on the sofa and I opened my mouth to talk, only to find her fingers pressed against my lips.

"I need to talk and I need you to listen, ok? I need to get this out," she said before she started mending my heart and soul.

She told me how she loved me and how she had missed me and even though it couldn't erase the pain I had felt when she left me, it sure made it seem more bearable. She was the first woman I had given myself like this to in a thousand years and I was vulnerable in front of her. It was not a feeling I was used to, but I had come to understand that with Sookie most of everything I felt was new. Good or bad.

I told her I forgave her, because it all seemed silly to hold a grudge when we could be happy together. The past was the past and there was no reason to dwell on it, only learn from it. We had to stand together, we had to work together, love together and we'd both live to see another night.

I pressed my lips to hers, softly at first, before my longing for her took over and I kissed her fully. I wanted her to remember always how much my kisses, and mine alone were making her feel.

Really, I though nothing could surprise me further tonight than her return to my side, but she found a way. She pulled a tissue from her purse and opened it, revealing what looked like a bullet. I picked it up slowly and immediately felt my own scent on it. I filtered through the numerous times I got shot, to those when she was present and I immediately knew.

Dallas. The bullet she sucked out of my chest. Even as she claimed she was Compton's…

"I knew I should be yours." Her words echoed through my mind and made me impossibly hard. From that second on it was like I couldn't get close to her fast enough.

I scooped her up and carried her to the bedroom. Our bedroom. I untied the black sash from her waist, opened the brooch on her shoulder and her dress dropped to the floor, leaving her in barely there lingerie. My cock was aching to be in her and my fangs were craving her skin. I had missed seeing her sun-kissed skin. Mine.

We ended up on the bed, with me on top of her, kissing her skin, the one I've missed for too long. She moaned my name as my fangs found her nipple and then, soft as a breeze I heard her say the perfect word. "Forever".

My hands kept roaming her body as I confessed, once more that I would make her mine forever if she'd only let me. I wanted her by my side, but in the end, time meant nothing. Whether I'd get to live another thousand years with her by my side or another sixty until she died a natural death, it was of no real importance to me, as it would never be enough. I had come to terms with this feeling she arose inside me and I would not press her into joining me into eternal life. Our love would last as long as we'd still be alive.

She moaned the word again, this time more powerful and I felt her determination once more. I stopped and asked her. I needed to know.

"Mine or yours, Lover?"

"Yours. I want it to be mine as well. Ours," she declared, caressing me. I was sure to be in shock. Elated, surprised, happy. I do not think there was a proper response to her promise.

"Lover, don't joke." I needed her to never joke about this. It was not something I took lightly and I was hoping she knew that.

"I want to be yours in every way. Your lover, your bonded, your pledged, your childe," Sookie managed to get out before my lips were on hers again. I poured all my love into the bond, letting her feel everything I felt. She needed to know to never be afraid, she needed to know she could trust me and that there was nothing in this world I'd love more than to spend century after century with her. I'd never tire of her.

I made sure she was wet and ready before I pushed into her, groaning at the feeling I only got when I was inside her. I took her slowly, restraining myself, since I didn't want to hurt her. Fuck. It was hard to not let go. I wanted to and I growled as I thought of the ways I could take her when she'd be a vampire.

She was moaning and clutching to my shoulders, her eyes rolled in the back of her head and I knew she was close.

"Do it now, Eric. Jag älskar dig," she said and I moaned as she exposed her neck to me. For a brief second I wondered if she meant she wanted me to change her before I felt her pull me closer. I bit into her skin and I felt every cell in my body was alive as her blood hit my tongue. We came together, screaming in pleasure.

She didn't push me away, but stayed in my arms, letting me feed, letting me change her. I never felt any panic from her as her life left her, slipping from her grasp. Love, content and the thrill she always felt when I drank from her.

Her heart nearly stopped beating when I cut into my wrist and put it to her mouth, letting my blood pool down her throat.

"Come back to me. I need you, Lover," I whispered into her ear as I felt the bond switch to a little hum as she died in my arms.

I let bloody tears fall then. For her human life, for her love of sunshine, for the things she'd have to face. For the sacrifice she made for me, for us.

I pulled her body closer to mine and cradled her into the blankets. I took a washcloth from the bathroom and cleaned her body as best I could. I covered her in the warm blankets. Not that she'd need them, but it felt wrong somehow to leave her bare.

I didn't bother calling Pam on the phone, but simply used my Maker's influence so she'd know I wasn't messing around. I felt her coming closer the second I released the pull.

I scrolled through my contact list and thought of the allies I had. Turning Sookie might be seen as treachery by Felipe and Victor and I had no intention of letting it go there. It was my right as bonded to a human to turn her without the King's permission, even if he considered her to be in his retinue. However, I wouldn't put it above him to stake an empty claim.

That, however, wasn't my first worry. I needed a place to train her and for her to adjust to the vampire life without worrying and looking over her shoulder the entire time. So I called someone who had a soft spot for my ray of sunshine.

"Northman, do tell, how's the Missus?"

"Very well, your Highness."

"Nonsense, Eric. I might be older than you, but only by a couple hundred years. Don't kiss my ass."

"Russell, I know you are fond of Sookie, am I correct?" I went straight to the point.

"I hope you're not going to do it like those uncivilized vampires and propose to trade her or some other shit," he said, all ruffled up.

"I am merely asking because I need your help in the next few months. I need your help protecting her."

"Well, that's another matter altogether. Of course I'll help. I'm bored out of my mind. She'll keep things interesting, I'm sure. What has she done now that she needs protecting?"

"Long story or short story?"

"Give me the long version, that way I won't bore you again with the details."

"De Castro and Victor are after her. They've been waiting for an opportunity to intervene between us…"

"But you've pledged as well, yes? I heard that. Although, I must admit, my sources also said that Victor didn't believe it to be genuine," he mused.

"Yes, we're also pledged. I don't give a shit what Victor says, but given the circumstances I want to be prepared to protect her at any cost. Your standing as King and friend of Sookie will deter them for at least a while."

"And what exactly are the circumstances? You're yet to tell me that."

"In three day's time Sookie will be one of us."

There was silence over the phone. I was fairly certain he was considering all aspects of what I'd said.

"You and Sookie have my protection, Northman. Bring her here in your own time. One question though, and please answer me truthfully. I have suspected it for some time now."

"Thank you, Russell. Ask away," I said reluctantly.

"Your Sookie's part fae, isn't she?"

I thought about lying to him, but I was asking for his help, his protection and I honored my allies. Also, if my assumptions were true, I'd need help in the next few weeks and his knowledge of other races was sure to come in handy.

"She is. Brigandt's great grand-daughter."

"Royal. She does have that 'princess' look about herself."

"Don't let her hear you say that," I chuckled and he joined me.

"Yes, you're probably right about that. She could probably zap me half across the room."

"What?"

"Yes, I suspect she'll be a little firecracker or that she'd develop some kind of ability. She'll be a gifted vampire, Northman. Those of mixed races often acquire more gifts than usual. I've seen a demon turned vampire once and he could make you blind for as long as it took him to either kill you or escape. With a fae hybrid such as Sookie, telepathic nonetheless, I can only expect great things. I knew you'd entertain me, Northman," Russell said, almost giddy at the prospect.

"As thrilled I am you've found yourself a new toy, I am scared she'll hate being even more "abnormal" than she already feels."

"But her telepathy is a gift."

"To you and to me, maybe, but not to her. Not when she was the weird one as a child, when she couldn't date anyone as she grew up. Although I see the benefits, I can understand her need to be normal."

"Ah, but she chose you, Eric. Half her friends, from what I've heard, aren't human, she's bonded to a vampire and she's Fae Royalty. She's hardly normal and I think she knows that."

"From what you've heard?" I asked, raising a brow Russell couldn't see.

"Yes. I have people that tell me how she's been. That prank she pulled while under my roof has put her above any human I've ever met. She intrigues me and I've grown fond of her. I'm sure you understand. It's nothing for you to worry about."

When a few seconds passed and I had yet to say anything, I realized I was acting like a jealous teenager.

"I would never intervene between a bonded pair, Northman."

"I know. I will talk to you in a few nights then. I must tend to Sookie."

"Of course, of course. Keep me posted. I'll arrange for your arrival. Pamela will join you, I expect."

"Yes. Good night."

"Same."

I put the phone down and thought of the next few months. I wondered, much as Russell, what she'd be able to do now that her magic was changing. Would her telepathy transfer, would she be able to read vampire minds, will she be able to fly, would she develop more fae magic? I rubbed my eyes in frustration. Nothing about the next few days was predictable and I hated not knowing what would happen next.

Pam entered the house and zapped towards me.

"Eric, what is it?" she asked quickly, before looking towards the bed. She gasped and moved quickly to the bed, where Sookie lay.

"What have you done?" her voice full of anguish.

"She's changing, Pamela. She chose me, she chose it," I explained. I didn't need to do it, since I was her Master, but I felt I needed to. Sookie was as close to a friend as Pamela had in her three centuries.

Her eyes went wide, her mouth agape. She was shocked. And then she started snickering.

"Well, of course our little fairy would make the unexpected decision. When are we leaving?" she asked and I raised an eyebrow at her. She truly knew me better than anyone.

"When she rises. We'll have to ask her if she wants to fake her death or if we should all fake them and leave the country altogether. I'm fairly certain she'll want to be able to talk to her brother at least. We'll see."

"Where are we going if she wants to stay?"

"Mississippi. "

"Oh great, Russell is such a doll," she said excitedly and I'm sure she was imagining the talks she could have with his gay boyfriends.

"I'm glad you agree."

I might have been a bit snippy.

"You're worried," she remarked.

"Yes. Fae-human hybrid turning into a vampire. I doubt there's been one before. I've talked to Russell and neither of us know what to expect exactly. He has some theories, but nothing solid".

"We'll cross each bump when we get there. Eric, she's going to be fine. We'll take care of her," she said, sensing my anxiety. "I thought you'd be happy."

"I am happy. I'm thrilled she made this decision. I just need to get my shit together before she wakes. Felipe and Victor will come for her if they even suspect her abilities have passed over or extended. They'll do everything in their power to kill me, like they hadn't been planning that for ages."

"Eric, you've lived a thousand years. You're smarter and more powerful than them. If need be, you take over. Or flee the country. I'm getting tired of this fuckery anyway. Too much fucking drama. It's like a bad soap-opera," she huffed.

"We'll see. I'm building a million plans in my mind for any possible situation."

"That's what you're good at."

I smiled at her and wrapped my arms around her, kissing her forehead. It was times like this when I remembered why I turned her and why she was still with me after so many years. We worked. I knew her, she knew me and we called each other on our bullshit, but we also praised our good points.

Which was why Sookie and I would be ok, on the long term. On the very long term. With that thought, a big smile spread on my face.

* * *

><p>So? How is everyone feeling? I have something to announce, I got an email this morning, from a very very nice lady, by the name of <strong>Sephrenia,<strong> who let me know that _Eternal Night _is her Sunday Story of the Week. Which is awesome. I've been giddy since this morning. Just put in her name with number 1 at the end and search for the wordpress blog. I'd add it to my page, but won't let me.

Big thanks go to Keri for supporting my chappy and clearing away my worries.

Darlings, please, let me know what you thought. It'd make me write faster :D

xoxo

Gaby


	3. High Heels

Hello everyone! Thank you for reading! I've been blown away by your reaction. I'm eager to get this show on the road and I promise to at least be consistent with the updates. :D

Oh yeah, chances are you're probably not working since it's a Saturday, but far be it from me to not warn you anyway. Not Safe For Work!

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters.

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><p><em><strong>High Heels<strong>_

_**SPOV**_

My skin was prickling like I was being electrified.

Even my hair felt like live wire.

I opened my eyes and I could see the specs of dust filtering through the air and I realized in that second that I could feel, smell and hear everything surrounding me.

I took a second to remember what had happened and where I was. It all came crashing down to me.

The wine, the bond, the dress, the bar, his eyes, his smell, the warmth, his touch, his fangs, his blood, my death.

I took a deep breath when I realized I hadn't even felt the need to do it. My lungs filled up with air and it felt weird to feel them expand.

I closed my eyes and a smile spread on my lips.

He was on his side, a little smirk spread on his own lips. He didn't try approach me, he didn't try touching me. He was simply observing me with interest. Eric was giving me space, physically and mentally. His side of the bond was closed, it seemed, as I couldn't feel anything coming from him.

I turned my head towards him and I grinned. I felt so alive, which was ironic. I never knew he felt like this everyday. It was overwhelming and completely amazing at the same time.

I turned on my side, mimicking his position, and I traced the contours of his face with my fingers. He was so handsome. If I thought he looked amazing before, I was sorely mistaken. I had no idea why other female vampires weren't throwing themselves at him all the time.

His face was smooth, beautiful and there were very thin lines formed around his eyes when he smiled that I had never seen before. His skin was glowing slightly and his eyes were so blue. So beautiful.

His eyes closed as I touched him, leaving me craving to see them open again. His face turned and he kissed the inside of my hand. I felt my skin erupt in goosebumps where his lips had touched.

He smirked at my reaction and his hand snaked around my waist, pulling me closer.

"Lover," he purred the last letter.

"Eric," I gasped. My entire body felt on fire, very much aware of his pressed up against me in the best way possible.

"I love you so much, Sookie," he breathed into my lips before he pressed a tentative kiss there.

I moaned deeply and I felt the taste of my own blood as my fangs ran out. I gasped, but Eric pulled away a bit.

"Lemme see them," he told me, putting his thumb to my lip. I felt like a show horse for a second, before I grinned. This was who I was now.

"Beautiful, my love." He was smiling like a proud father, and in a way I guess he was. Not that I'd ever want to think about him that way again. Ew.

"I love you, Eric. Thank you for wanting me forever."

I could feel tears prickling at the corners of my eyes and did my best to stem them down. Crying would be messy from now on.

"It's all I ever wanted, Lover. You by my side."

His thumb ran up my face, catching that traitorous stray red tear coming down my face. He scooped it up and put it in his mouth, closing his eyes as he hummed in appreciation.

"I feel like I'm PMS-ing. Why's that?"

"For the first few months your emotions will be all over the place, then you'll be more settled. If you promise to not be upset with me I'll try to help you through it. When I feel you're nearing a hissy fit or blowing off, I'll calm you down," he said, and I could feel the door to his side of the bond cracking a bit. He was afraid I'd yell something about him controlling me.

I knew better than that through. I'd accepted everything he was and everything that came with him. I might still give him a hard time sometimes, since he loved me for not being a doormat for him to wipe his feet on, but only if I knew he was strong.

I also knew that since he was my Maker now, the way he looked would be even more affected by my actions then when I was only his bonded and pledged. If I acted like a brat, then that meant he couldn't control me and that made him an easy target. I needed to put my big girl panties on and just let him do whatever he needed to. He didn't live to be a thousand years old by not calculating his every move.

There has always been a big difference between how we acted in public and how we acted when it was just the two of us and Pam. He'd never let me embarrass myself and he'd never put in harms way and I needed to do the same thing.

It was also time to come clean.

"I'm ok with that. I know there are things you need to do and I'll play the part when we're in public. With your help, being a baby vampire might be easier. Could you please open up your side of the bond? I need to tell you something and I need to be able to feel you. I know you're only protecting me, but I think I can handle it."

The fact that he had been considerate enough to let me get my bearings was sweet enough, but I really needed to feel his emotions. He did as I asked, slowly letting me feel what he was. It was like I was back home.

"Why are you nervous, Sookie?"

I bit my lip, took an unnecessary breath out of habit and blurted out.

"Icanhearyounow."

I waited for him to become upset, to panic at the prospect of having no privacy, to freak out I'd be more of a target now.

Nothing changed.

An amused smile played at his lips.

"You were expecting it," I said, which was the logical thing, but the stupid thing to say. Of course he had. Always.

"I was, yes. I wasn't sure it would pass over, like I'm not at all sure what powers you'll develop. It was probably my mistake that I didn't talk more of it with you before actually turning you, but it's a done thing now and there's no do-over. We have to adjust as we go," he said.

"The idea of asking you to change me wasn't as spontaneous as I made it out to be," I confessed. "I'd thought about it before, before we fought. I guess it was always there because I love you so much and it pained me to think that you'd have to spend eternity without me. I admit there may have been a little bit of vain involved there, since you'd always have stayed beautiful and young when I'd have aged."

"Not eternity."

"What?"

"I said, not eternity. It's something I'll do regardless. If you were to die, I'd only live long enough to bury you or revenge you."

Sorrow was building inside me like someone had broken a dam. Another tear slipped down my cheek.

"But..."

"No buts Sookie. It's my decision. I can't live in a world without you in it. We're too tightly bound for me to function properly. If I wouldn't do it, someone else would," he admitted and I knew he was right. I also knew, in that instant, that I'd have done the same even if we never got back together and he'd have somehow died.

I took in a deep breath to calm myself and felt his influence in the bond, soothing me.

"I know. It's my decision also. It might sound dramatic, but I couldn't live without you either. I know you can command me now, but I'd be greateful if you didn't. I wouldn't want to carry on if something happened to you."

He wanted to argue. The thought of me dying even if he wasn't around, wasn't something he wanted to think about, but he felt my resolve, my love, my sorrow. He nodded slowly.

"Thank you," I breathed out as I leant forward to press my lips to his. Every little but of skin that was touching his was burning. I broke away before he did anything further. I could tell how much he wanted me both from the bond and his mind. Him being naked also helped.

"You said powers. What do you know?"

"Not much, actually. Only that you'll probably have more on your plate than you wish you did. I'm sorry, Sookie. We should have talked before."

"No, it's ok. I know we'll be ok. We'll figure stuff out. Just because we don't know exactly what's gonna happen isn't anything new and neither of us can predict the future. I assume you've already been in contact with someone," I said. I knew he would. He didn't like being unprepared so he must have had a plan set up already.

"Yes. Russell has always been fond of foreign studies, let's call it," he said and I snickered. "I don't think anyone's ever heard of a human-fae hybrid becoming vampire before. This will be a learning experience for everyone."

"Should I hide my telepathy?"

"For now at least, yes. Until we find out what you're capable of, it'd be best if we do. If we're going to reveal this detail, then you need to be able to defend yourself properly."

I nodded and asked him if I should say I lost it completely, but he shook his head saying that it'd be too obvious that we were hiding something.

"So what are our options?"

"It depends on what you want to do. We could fake your death and then you'd lose all contact with your dear ones or we could fake it for the three of us as we leave the country."

"Would you want that, though? You've got your bar and your position."

"I don't care about my position and the bar is just a prop. You know I don't depend financially on it, far from it. I've thought about burning it down a number of times. "

"And what would we do if we were to do this? What do we do afterwards?"

"We can either leave the States entirely or go to Mississippi where Russell will help us. We can do that either way, but faking our deaths would earn us some time. He's already offered us his royal protection so we've already committed treason against Felipe. Pam and I have been waiting for you to rise and decide which way you want to go."

"I thought you'd have done the high-handed thing and decide for me. Thank you, but I trust you. What do you think we should do?"

I smiled at him and I could feel his pride in me.

"I think it's wise if we move to Russell's court at least for now. We'd stay relatively low until you're fully trained. Faking our deaths would be the ideal way of doing this, considering how much time it'd earn us."

"Can I tell Jason?"

"If you want. I'd advice against it, however. He can be glamoured and if others are watching him, they'd know it if he didn't grieve over you like he should. I doubt he's that good of an actor. We can return later and I'm sure he'll understand why you did it this way and kept him out of the loop. "

"Ok."

"Ok?"

"Yes. I won't argue with you if there's really no need. Your plan has logic and you're right about Jason. He'll forgive me eventually." I really hoped I was right.

"You're magnificent, Lover."

If until then I had managed to contain my feelings, now I felt them all come forth, like the elastic keeping them back had snapped. For a brief second I had time to realize that it had been Eric helping me out.

I crashed into his body, my hands snaking around his back, pulling him to me just as his fingers spread on the small of my back. All I could think of was his hands, his lips, his body against mine as he kissed me silly.

I was burning with desire and my body felt literally on fire as every cell of my skin acknowledged his presence.

"I'm going to fuck you until you beg me to stop," he half-growled into my ear as he gently bit on my earlobe. I moaned loudly and hooked my leg over his, putting my pussy right next to his cock. He bucked into me, pressing against my clit, causing a shudder to erupt through my entire body.

"Touch me, please," I begged.

His hand snaked between us and his fingers took the familiar path on my skin. He knew where to touch me, when to press and when to be gentle. He played me like a violin. I was moaning and gasping, shuddering against him. I rolled onto my back and pulled him over me.

My feet came up, wrapping around his waist. He growled and pushed inside me, making my eyes to roll into the back of my head. My back arched and his lips took advantage of how close my boobs were and quickly fastened around my nipple.

Making love to him was always an adventure. He'd take me on a rollercoaster of emotions and sensations until he brought me to climax over and over again, but now everything was much more intense.

His fangs nicked around my nipple and I gasped, bucking my hips against his as I started cuming. He moaned when he felt my muscles clenching around him and sped his movements while his fangs buried in my breast. Everything intensified with the first pull he took and I was going to explode into a million pieces.

I pulled his head up towards mine and I kissed him. It was weird since both our fangs were down, but it was also hot as hell. He licked one of them and I shuddered uncontrollably. I didn't know they were so sensitive. He pierced his tongue on it and then he kissed me. His blood mixed with my saliva and I started cuming again as soon as I could taste him.

"Gods, Sookie, yes!" he growled and I could feel his happiness like it was my own. The doubled bond only amplified the thrill we were both feeling and it was amazing.

My fingers buried in his hair and kept his head to mine as I kissed him. I didn't breathe. I didn't need to. It felt like it lasted forever.

One of his hands found its way under my ass and I screamed with the change of angle. He was hitting that spot inside me over and over again and I was panting in a few seconds. He switched his position so his knees were under my ass and he pulled me up.

My arms wrapped around his neck as I started riding him at vampire speed. I was cuming again and I felt like I never stopped. I kissed up and down his neck and let out a breath before taking my fangs on a test ride.

His movements faltered as I started sucking on the rapidly closing wound. I took over, moving my hips against his as he came inside me. He swore in Swedish and pressed me close to his body like he wanted to sear us together.

I didn't lose time and pushed him on his back. I moved above him like I was in heat. I couldn't get enough of him. His wits came about him and his hands found my hips. I didn't need help moving on top of him now that I was strong. Although I'd have been tired by now, my muscles gave no sign of it. I felt like I could go on forever.

His right thumb came around and pressed against my clit, adding what I needed to start convulsing again. I screamed his name and he growled in response. As soon as I had rode out my orgasm he pushed me off him, turned me around and bent me forward. He was in me before I could take a breath, causing me to moan loudly.

I loved it when he took me like this. I was giving him all the power and I enjoyed it just as much. I was his and he was mine and it felt glorious.

His body covered mine and he pressed me into the sheets. I could have opposed him, but I didn't. I stretched my hands forward, grabbing on the edge of the bed as I knew I'd need the support. My legs pressed together making my clit throb. He leant over and he carried on with drilling into me.

"So tight, Sookie," he moaned and I squeezed my muscles to add even more to his pleasure. That earned me a growl and soon his lips were on my neck. He pushed my hair away and put his arm under my nose. I didn't hesitate. I sunk my fangs in his skin just as he did the same to my neck.

We were a tangled mess of limbs and blood and cum, screaming with our releases and shaking like leaves. His movements slowed and he just lay there, letting me feel his weight.

"I love you," I breathed out, knowing well enough that he'd hear it.

"As I love you, my angel," he whispered in my ear. I could hear it, I could feel it and I could definitely read it in his mind. I pulled up shields. I didn't need to read him and I didn't want it either.

I giggled.

"What?"

"Oh, just thinking that I didn't get to beg for you to stop."

"Who said we're done?" he asked and I could feel his wickedness.

"Oh no, mister. I need a little break. Your blood has been nice and all, but I feel like I'm still hungry. Why's that?"

He was out of me in a blur and he turned me around.

"I'm sorry. We've gotten carried away. I should have fed you right away. Excuse my selfishness, Sookie."

"Oh, nonsense. I didn't even feel much of it until now. You know how I used to be hungry after making love to you when I was human? It's pretty much the same. Different appetite though," I giggled and he smiled, pressing a kiss on my lips.

Eric went to the microwave in the corner of the room and popped a bag of blood inside. I busied myself admiring his beautiful ass while he poured the heated liquid in a glass.

"I should have made sure you drank first thing you woke. I'm sorry."

"It's really ok. I didn't feel anything until just now. I'm serious. You would have known if I were lying so stop fussing," I told him.

He chuckled and shook his head.

"You're unique, my love."

"How so?" I inquired, smiling at him.

"First, the thirst. You should have been famished when you woke. I didn't even think about it because I could feel you're ok. Second, your mood. Newly turned vampires have mood swings that give their makers whiplash. Yours were mild to say the least. I'm surprised you're as coherent as you are. It's not something odd for a new vampire to be distracted by all things shiny, as they say. Like jumping from a subject to another with little thought of what they were discussing previously."

"I didn't know. Maybe I should have asked you for more details before I asked you to change me," I mused and I instantly felt his fear.

"You regret it."

"No," I said quickly. "I just mean that I should have inquired more since I didn't know much about new vampires, but I don't regret it. I wouldn't have even if I were like any other childe out there. I wanted this, I wanted you."

My hand was on his cheek and he smiled at me, surely checking our bond for any signs of deceit.

His thoughts filtered to me and I gasped.

_I love you, my little bulletsucker._

"What?" he asked me, suddenly alert.

"I just heard you."

"I thought we already established that you could do that." His eyebrow was raised, probably asking himself if I'd gone mad.

"Yes, but I raised my shields. I don't need to hear you to trust you and I wanted to give you your privacy. You thought at me just now, didn't you?"

"Yes, I did. I've always wanted to do that."

"I always thought you didn't want me to hear you."

"I may have hidden things from you before, Sookie, but I never lied to you. Now that you're a vampire, "vampire business" that I usually kept from you is your business as well. I have nothing to hide from you now, Lover."

His eyes pierced mine and I knew he wasn't lying. I smiled at him and took a sip of the blood. My taste buds erupted in pleasure and I let out a little moan.

"Well, I'm glad you're enjoying yourself, but if you do that again, I might jump you again." I chucked, eyeing his erection.

"And how would that be a bad thing?" I sassed.

"Pam'll be here in a few minutes. She's getting closer. She managed to stay away for longer than I thought she would. Pam's been just as anxious as me for the last three days."

"Aww, I can't wait to see her. I'll finally be able to make her proud."

"How so?" Eric inquired.

"I won't wobble on my high heels after a full night," I giggled and he rolled his eyes, knowing there would now be two of us to drive him crazy.

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><p>So, ready for some Pam-Sookie chemistry? What powers do you think Sookie'll get? :D<p>

xoxo

Gaby


	4. Fangs

Hey everyone!

I'm sorry, I know it's been long since the last time, but life is kicking my ass. I'm starting to hate my work. Seriously.

It crossed my mind at some point today to point out that the characters are a tad different than how Charlainne writes them. Mainly because I hate how mindless Sookie is and how she really makes all the bad decision sometimes. I'm yet to read last years book because I'm afraid I'd just get pissed off and that would ruin my mojo undefinetely. Also, CH's Eric pissed me off because he's shielding Sookie too much and doesn't treat her like a partner. Also, I'm tired of the angst. Really.

That being said: here's the new chapter:

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><p><strong>Fangs<strong>

**SPOV**

I actually managed to throw on one of Eric's shirts before Pam burst into the room. I don't think she expected us to be dressed, but I also didn't think she cared that much about propriety. Nudity wasn't something vampires were ashamed of and she may have thought that my moral values just flew out the window once my mortal life ended.

I wasn't going to sit there and say that my opinion wouldn't change, cause I knew it may very well happen, like it did on many other subjects. However, I wasn't there yet.

Her arms were around me before I registered she was actually in the room.

"Sookie," she sighed into my hair as she hugged me.

I let myself relax in her arms. She really was one of my only friends. We may have had our differences, especially where Eric was concerned and how I acted towards him, but I really liked her. She always told you what was on her mind, whether you liked it or now and it was refreshing, considering all the bullshit I've had to face from two-faced vampires. I could see why she hooked up with Amelia. I was fairly certain that if I lowered my shields, she'd be quite the broadcaster too.

"Pam," I smiled and hugged her tighter.

I could feel Eric's pride and joy through the bond and I'm sure Pam did too. She released me, looked at him and rolled her eyes.

"Let me see them."

I giggled at the absurdity of the situation and let my fangs out, letting her look at them just like I would a piece of jewelry.

"Very nice," she purred.

"Can I pull them back in? I feel weird."

"Of course. The two of us will have a chat later, but now, how about we hurry up with that meeting?" Pam asked, clearly anxious to find out what needed to be done.

"Good idea," Eric volunteered and I raised a finger in the air, indicating them to wait a few seconds as I closed my eyes.

I lowered my shields and let my mind wander around the property, making sure there wasn't any kind of creature that could overhear our conversation. When I found no one, I opened my eyes and I smiled.

"Clear."

"Does it work any differently?" Pam asked in an off tone, but I could tell she was particularly curious. I glanced at Eric and he gave a slight nod. Of course he'd agree to tell Pam, but I felt better with checking with him on this. It was silly really, considering how ruffled up I'd used to get for even considering to ask for his input.

I was _so_ over that. I trusted him 110% now and I knew he'd protect me.

"Actually, my _range_ is wider, it seems. I went a great length in all directions, checking for anyone that might overhear us and I found no one but some sleeping humans. No other brain activity whatsoever. My shields are also a lot easier to control. It's like flipping a switch on and off. I can also hear you now," I concluded.

Pam had a smirk playing on her lips and she was eyeing me up and down.

"My shields are up at the moment, but I can tell what you're thinking without listening in to you," I told her.

"Pamela," Eric said sternly and she rolled her eyes in response.

"You never let me have any fun," she half-wined.

"Sure I do. I give you my credit card and you go shopping. I thought that registered as "fun" for you," he smirked.

"Oh, it does. I was just thinking of something else I consider to be in that realm."

"Of course you were. Shall we carry on?"

"Of course. So, how do we make me disappear?" I asked.

"That's fairly easy. Pam and I have agreed that if you were ok with faking your death to give your family some closure and to keep the Nevada idiots off our trail for a while, we were going to bomb Fangtasia."

"What?"

Sure, I'd heard Eric say he thought about leaving the bar behind and that he'd thought numerous times about burning it to the ground, but I didn't think he'd actually do it.

"It's the wise thing to do, Sookie. Victor would do anything to get his hands on the bar to keep an eye on the area. We're not going to make it easy for him by leaving the biggest fangbanger attraction in town standing. We're leaving and making it hard on him. They'll think we're dead for at least a while and we can fuck up his plans of taking over the area. It's beautiful, really," Pam said with a sinister smile on her face.

"But you'll lose money," I countered. Surely they could see the problem in the plan. Even if we went missing for some years or however long, they'd still have the property.

"And we have an eternity to earn it back. Plus, that's just a dot on the map of businesses I own, Sookie," Eric reassured me.

"Really, Sookie. I have more money that Oprah in my own account. Eric's is way bigger. He's been doing this for a thousand years."

To say I was shocked was an understatement. I knew he was rich, but I thought it went to maybe a couple of million dollars. The fact that he had _that_ kind of money made me feel silly for every bitching I ever did for anything he bought me.

"Ok, I'm not going to process this right now. Moving on. So… we make an appearance, get out the back door and then the thing explodes?"

"That sums it up. There's actually a hidden passage under Fangtasia that leads us to a lone barrack in the sticks. From there, I'll carry the three of you in flight to Russell's place. The distance is not that big. Anything material that we need, we'll get there or he will provide for us."

I took in a deep breath and went through the options. Something didn't sit right with me and I felt like there was something missing from our plan. And then it dawned on me.

"Eric, how many houses do you have around the area?"

"Four, why?"

"Wow. Ok, well, is there any of them that can't be tracked back to you?"

"Two. This one and another are under my current name. What did you have in mind?"

"Do you remember when Sophie Anne lost her bracelet, but it was actually Hadley who took it and hid it? Well, Amelia and Octavia did that magic thing of theirs where they could go back in time and figure out what happened…"

"And you think Victor might do the same thing. We'll burn the houses down, I don't care," Eric said and it made me cringe. "If there's no house, there's nothing to reconstruct."

Having been borderline poor my entire life, I couldn't quite comprehend how he could so easily say to burn down entire properties.

"How about we move some of the important stuff to one of the houses no one knows about, like your car and whatnot, and we could burn down this house. Make it look like the Fellowship finally lost its shit. We can spread the rumors and the media will pick on it since it's been quiet lately. Also, another proposal is to go to your other house and stage a scene in case they think about doing that magic. We can set them off our tail by saying we're going in the opposite direction," I said.

"That's actually brilliant," Pam said appreciatively.

"Sookie could act like she was still human, dress the part and act the part. Actually that'd be a very good idea for when we go to Fangtasia. Victor certainly has someone watching the club and they must not suspect she's changed," Eric said, looking at Pam.

We spent another couple of hours going over and over the plan for the next day. Pam went to the club soon after so it wouldn't be too obvious we were scheming.

For the first time in my life I understood why Eric was thrilled at the thought of going to battle. Even though it wasn't a battle in the real sense of the word, the thought of adventure had me hyped. I was excited to be doing something.

Sure, the main reason we were moving was for me to be able to train without looking over my shoulder the entire time and without letting everyone find out about whatever secret abilities I might evolve. When I was ready and Eric wouldn't have to worry I can't handle myself, we'd be able to make a move.

Whether we'd be going on offensive or just leaving this bad soap-opera behind and find another place to live, was yet to be determined. I did not know which direction the wind would blow, but I was certain of one thing: Eric, Pam and I were going to go through this together. And in the end, that's what mattered.

We had been quiet for some time and my back was pressed against Eric's chest, just enjoying the silence.

"This is nice," I said.

"What is?"

"Everything. This new life you gave me. I feel wonderful and I'm excited about spending literally forever with you. I want to thank you for turning your life upside down for me. No one else would have ever done this, except Gran, who I guess actually did when my parents died," I told him.

"Sookie, I'm not the only one turning my life for you. You've done the same. You left your mortal life behind and decided to join me. Your trust in me is not something I will ever be able to appreciate fully and thank you for it. I changed you because you asked me to, because you wanted to be with me. Very few of us have had this option. Neither I, nor Pam have and we've had troubles adjusting. I hope your transition into the immortal life with be easier."

"I'm sure it will, honey. I've got you as a Maker. We'll figure everything out," I said, turning around to kiss him.

In no time I was straddling his hips and his hands started traveling my figure and I was thankful we were alone. I moaned loudly and my head lolled back as he laved my neck in open mouth kisses. My hips were rubbing against his and I was getting wetter and wetter. My skin felt on fire and every place he touched tingled.

His hands went to the buttons of the shirt I was wearing. His eyes were feral and suddenly, all the buttons flew to the ground. Eric's hands were on my breasts, tweaking and pinching my nipples.

My hand went between us and in the waistband of his sports pants, grabbing his cock and pumping him.

The growled and bared his fangs at me. I pulled him out of his pants, and didn't waste time sinking down on him. My eyes rolled in the back of my head and I moaned out loud. I loved how big he was and how I stretched to make room for him.

His fangs found purchase in my neck as I began to ride him and I pulled one of his hands to my mouth and sank my own fangs in his wrist.

Euphoria summed up what I was feeling. I was moving erratically above him, while his movements lost their rhyme and reason. I came hollering his name and he roared as he followed me into bliss. He didn't stop however.

He stopped drinking from my neck and I felt the little prickles of my skin mending. I did the same for his hand and he took the opportunity to push me on my back, gathering my legs at my sides. He pushed back inside and started drilling into me at full speed. Before I could form a coherent thought I was falling over the edge again.

He leaned over me and licked my ear as I thrashed and moaned his name.

"I've been dreaming of fucking you like this since I met you. I love that I don't have to hold back," he whispered and I moaned louder.

"Harder," was all I managed to ask and he complied.

He hammered into me, his cock brushing my G-spot with every thrust and his pubic bone pressing into my clit with every chance. I was clawing at his back, hugging his body to mine.

My senses were in overload and the only reason I still felt grounded to the earth was because his body was pressing into mine, his weight no longer a problem, but a welcome pressure.

"I love you," I yelled as I came again.

"Lover," he roared and spilled inside me for the last time.

We were both panting, which had me giggling.

"What?" he asked, propping himself on an elbow and pushing away a stray lock of hair from my forehead.

"It's amusing how hard we're both breathing, when we don't actually need to do it. It just seems silly."

"We don't need to breathe, but it does feel good to do it. Plus, elaborate breathing helps spread the pleasure through the body. Not sure if it's medical or not, Pam told it to me once. She might have picked it off one of her shows though," he said and we were both smiling like loons.

"Mmmm, I love feeling you so close. I've missed you so much in all those months. I've been silly and stupid and juvenile. I'm sorry, really. We could have been like this for much longer."

"Everything in this world has a reason, Sookie. We broke up, but that's what made you realize what our relationship meant for you. I realized exactly how much I loved you, even though I didn't remember much at the time, when I first saw you with the Tiger. I wanted to rip his head off and steal you away. I had never felt like that before and I didn't fully understand it because I didn't remember our time together. The night of the takeover is when it all made sense. All those thoughts and feelings were explained when my memories returned."

"You're right. It did help, but I wish I had been more mature about it. I've never really been in a true relationship before. Bill lied to me and betrayed me in the worst way. I may have forgiven him, but I will never forget it. Then I got you for a brief period, fell in love and then lost you when the curse was broke.

"I was so hurt and lonely and you really weren't remembering. Quinn was comfortable, I didn't see much of him. He deceived me and he was ultimately sent by Felipe to get me, like Bill had previously been, but I broke up with him before he could do it. His betrayal hurt, but it would have hurt more if I really did love him. I think that if we ever get to it, you get the right to skin the cat, so to say." I was giggling. I really couldn't believe the words had crossed my lips, but I honestly had no reason to stop him if he wanted to kill Quinn. I was_ waaay _over caring what happened to douchebags.

"Are you sure?" he raised an eyebrow at me. I was sure he was probing the bond to see if I was kidding or lying.

"It's not like I can stop you anyway," I rolled my eyes. "But yes, I am sure. I have absolutely no feelings towards him unless you want to count the desire to claw his eyes out as a _feeling". _

He smiled at me and pressed a kiss to my lips.

"Come, Lover, let's get cleaned up. There are only a couple of more hours until dawn and it's been a long first day for you."

"I agree. Carry me," I giggled as I watched his eyes go wide.

"Sookie Stackhouse, asking me to carry her when she's more than capable of doing it herself? Who are you and what have you done with my bonded?"

"Oh, she's here. She's just lazy," I laughed as he scooped me up. "Plus, I'm going to let you do things for me from now on. I've told you I left the bitch-Sookie at the door. I wasn't kidding."

"No you weren't. Does that mean I get to pamper you?"

"Maybe. Just don't over do it. You know flashy doesn't do it for me."

"Oh, I do," he smiled and pressed a kiss to my forehead as he stepped into the bathroom.

He plopped me on the counter and bent to adjust the water. I was admiring his ass and I blame my shields for not observing it in time.

The doorbell rang and Eric's body straightened up, a questioning look on his face.

I closed my eyes, lowered my shields and stretched out to find out who could possibly be there.

"Jason? What the hell?"

* * *

><p>Oops! Yes, I did leave it there. I know the chappy's on the short size, but it was either I leave this little cliffhanger or not post the chapter today. I figure it's just Jason and while his opinion certainly matters, I'm not leaving the story hanging when someone's life is at stake. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. I hope I'll be able to write the next one soon. I have so many cool ideas and even some of yours have been taken into account.<p>

I've pondered a lot as to what powers Sookie should have so I won't write just another version of **Eternal Night. **I know alot of you want a sequel to that one, but it's not in the plans and I don't want to bore you all with another reitteration of the same story.

Ok, I've talked enough. How do you think Jason will handle Sookie being a vampire? What cool powers do you think she'll be packing? Will you miss the fangbanger hotspot once it's gone?

xoxo

Gaby

Check out my blog: gabrielleblue(dot)wordpress(dot)com


	5. Silver Dreams

Hey girlies! Thank you so much for the awesome response to the last chapter. I'm so glad you're all enjoying it. Sorry it's taken yet another week to post this, but I think it's safe to say this'll be a pattern.

Big thanks go to Anne (Northwomn) for fixing my mistakes for me this chappy. I always appreciate her insight and her opinion. Plus, I know how she loves to be the first to read an update, hehe.

So...I don't own the story, I just play with it.

* * *

><p>I kept looking at Eric and he, at me.<p>

"What's he doing here?" he demanded.

"I gave him your address some time ago. Told him that if I ever go missing again, he should come look for you, because you'll know how to find me at the very least. Maybe you should go alone. I'll stay here," I said.

"Sookie, you can see your brother if you want. Although he could divulge our secret, I'm sure there are ways to avoid that if need be," he said, a warm look in his eyes as he stroked my cheek.

"I know. We'll see how it goes. He's really distressed. I can't read him properly."

"I'll go see him. Just listen in and interrupt if you want. Remember, I'm not opposed to him knowing. He's the only family you have left. Also, keep your breath if you do come down."

I was left alone in the bathroom as Eric zipped down the stairs. I wondered if he even grabbed a robe on his way down.

I stopped the water and wrapped myself in an old robe I'd left at his house a long time ago. I propped myself against the bedroom wall and listened in, the worry that I might kill my brother if I saw him, nagging at the back of my mind.

Jason was talking really fast, telling Eric that it's all come down on him.

"Nobody's seen Sookie for days and I know you guys had a falling out or whatever, but she said you could find her if she disappeared. I'm worried about her, although I have a feeling she's ok and all, but I just wanted to check and see if you knew anything."

"Your sister is ok, Jason, yes," Eric said patiently.

"I was just looking for her to tell her about what happened tonight and I couldn't find her. I thought she was just out the other day when I went by, but she still wasn't there and I didn't smell any new trail of hers there. Hey! I can smell her here. She was here!" he said, proud to have figured that one out.

"Yes. What did you have to tell her, Jason?"

"Michelle. She was… God, she was killed earlier. I have no idea what happened. I was at work all day and then went to get a beer with Hoyt, ya know. And I came home and I found her there," Jason said, sounding panicked. "On the porch. I have no idea what did that to her. She looked horrible. The scent wasn't familiar. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have come, but I have no idea what to do. I called the cops and everything and they came over. I just couldn't be there anymore. Went looking for Sook. Sorry, man."

In a second, I was downstairs, hugging my brother. He stiffened for a second, taken by surprise by my presence and then he relaxed in my arms and hugged me back.

I could feel Eric behind me, monitoring me. I was trying really hard not to breathe, so I wouldn't be tempted, by however Jason may have smelled.

"Oh, Sookie, what am I gonna do without her?" he started crying.

"It's ok,Jase. You'll be ok. We'll find out what happened."

"I just actually, really loved her, you know? "

"Yeah, I do. We'll get you through it, hon," I shushed him, petting the back of his head.

"Yeah, yeah. Thanks," he sniffled and broke away from me. "Were you taking a cold shower or something? You're cold."

Oops. I looked to Eric and could sense his amusement at my brother's lack of intuition. He gave me a slight nod, encouraging me to 'fess up.

"Actually, Jason, can you come sit down? I have something to tell you, too."

"Sure. What is it?" he asked, as he was seated on the same couch I had professed my love for Eric, a few nights before.

"I just want you to keep an open mind, ok?" I was actually worried about his reaction. He meant the world to me, even though we may not always have been close. He was my brother, the only family I had that was still on Earth.

"Sure. I love you no matter what," he said, in a once in a lifetime, mushy moment. He really was screwed up over Michelle's death. I knew I wanted to kill whoever hurt that sweet woman; I could easily imagine what was going on through his head without even peaking in.

"Ehm. There's no other way to say this other than just come right out with it. So here goes. I'm a vampire now. I asked Eric to change me."

The silence that hung over the living room was heavy. He didn't say anything for a few minutes, he just stared at me. Eric gave me a slight shrug when I glanced at him and I just kept my position.

"Took you long enough," Jason finally blurted out.

"What?"

"Well, doh! You two love each other, right? He's immortal, you weren't. It doesn't take a genius to know that if you wanted to be together this was the way to do it, right? I mean, I may not be thrilled my sister is a fang now, but it's your damn life."

"Wow, thanks Jason," I said and breathed in a sigh of relief.

That's when it hit me, his smell. Under the wet cat stench there was definite sweetness. So sweet it made my mouth water. I started trembling slightly and Eric was beside me in a blink of an eye.

"What's wrong with her?" Jason asked, panicked once more.

"It's her first night as an immortal, Jason. Under yourwere smell, still lies your faery smell. That's candy for vampires. She's learning to control herself. "

I felt myself get calmer and calmer by the second and knew Eric's influence was there. I relaxed and stopped shaking from trying to control myself.

"Thank you," I told Eric and kissed his chin.

"What? You ok now?" my brother asked.

"Yeah. Eric helped me calm down. Listen, we have this whole plan. We're leaving town. There are some people that really want to take me away for my mind reading. I wasn't intending to let you know because you can be glamoured and our secret can be revealed. I didn't think you'd want to come along because you had Michelle. Now that she's gone, you're welcome to come along. If you want," I said and I lowered my shields to see if Eric was ok with my proposal.

There was nothing in his thoughts to indicate I'd done anything wrong, so I relaxed.

"I'll, yeah, I'll think about it. What's your plan?"

I started filling him in on everything and he even came up with a few ideas on his own. Dawn was nearing fast and by the time I told him he had agreed to join us. I was thrilled I wouldn't have to part with him, although the reasons that were pushing him out of Bon Temps were sad. I promised myself that when we'd be able to return, Michelle's killer would find their end.

Eric passed Jason the keys to one of his cars and when my brother was out the door to prepare for our departure, I zipped upstairs, straight to the fridge that held the blood bags. One was in the microwave by the time Eric joined me.

His hand rubbed my back in a soothing way until the microwave dinged. I only had the patience to put it into a glass before chugging it down.

"Are you ok?" he asked cautiously.

"Yeah, now I am. Who the fuck would want to kill Michelle? Goddamnit!"

My mood was changing fast and with the blood I'd just ingested and the anger I was feeling, my fangs were down and I could feel my anger boiling right under my skin, threatening to come out. Alarmed, Eric started sending calming vibes through the bond, trying to temper me down. His hands wrapped around me and the combined bond and contact made me leave out a huff of relief that took out all the anger in me.

"Thank you," I breathed out.

"You're welcome, Lover. Let's take a quick shower before the Sun comes up."

He led me to the bathroom and we both got under the jets. We were surprisingly hands-off. We were normally pretty horny whenever we found ourselves in the same bathroom, clawing at each other. Tonight, we both had a lot on our minds.

That was probably good, however, since there wasn't much time before sunrise.

We toweled off and I barely got in bed and managed to kiss Eric before I slipped away.

-/-

_The room was dark, everything was hurting. Burning. My skin was wrapped up tightly and I could feel something wet coming down my ears. _

_Hope. I hoped someone was coming. I knew someone was coming. I could feel it. Coming closer, closer. The pull knotted my stomach, but I gritted my teeth through it. **I'm here**, I thought to him. I'm here. _

_And then the door opened. His tall figure filled the door and I could smell the blood on his hands and sword before everything went black. _

-/-

As my senses came back to me, I could feel Eric's hand on my breast and his mouth on my neck, his fangs scratching against my skin. My back arched, putting my body closer to his. My legs parted to make room for him and then his fangs punctured my skin. The next hour passed in a haze of pants and growls and orgasms.

It was amazing; I felt just as good when he bit me now as I did when I was human. I reveled in the afterglow, with him by my side, as I tried not to think of anything.

Tonight was the night. We were dying tonight and we had to make everything perfect. No traces had to be left behind, but those we wanted to leave.

"Come, my love. We must go."

"I know."

I really felt good where I was right then. I didn't want to move much, but I guess I had to since time was ticking.

I got dressed in the black tight suit Pam brought the night before and got a pair of normal pants on top of them. With that and the coat, it should be enough to make it seem I was just plain old me. I went to quickly do my makeup, putting on some light lipstick and some eyeliner, as usual. I brushed my hair and put in a pink barrette in. There, plain ol' human.

Eric was dressed in his usualFangtasiagarb– black jeans, black wifebeater and his leather jacket.

I was surprised to see Jason had done everything as planned. My car was in front of Eric's house and so was Eric's other Corvette. We got in the car and drove to the other house that would burn down by dawn.

I didn't bother taking out my coat or shoes as we walked inside, hand in hand. Before I knew what happened, Eric had me pressed against a wall. His lips were on mine and his hands on my hips, pulling me against him.

I pushed him away. "Eric, I want to go with you. Will you take me with you? I've always wanted to see Spain. I know you lived there for some time."

"I'll take you anywhere you want to go, Lover," he said and I knew he wasn't acting in that moment.

"We'll travel the world then, yes? Show me where you've spent your thousand years."

"Anything for you, Lover. A day there, a week there and you'll be forty by the time we're done with the tour."

"Yes, but what a great way to spend ten years," I smiled and pressed my lips to his.

"Come, I have some business to attend to. We can make plans on the way," he said and that was our cue to get out.

We'd played our part and by the smell of the house, so had Jason. He must have rubbed himself all over the walls to have the sunshine smell all over the place, like I was just as human as I've always been and as if I've spent a lot of time there.

Eric drove us back to his other house and I climbed out, got in my beat up car and waved at him as we set on the second part of the plan.

He followed me down the road until the first crossroad. I took a left towards Bon Temps and he made a right turn towards Pam's place.

I drove slowly although, for the first time, I understood why Eric had a lead foot. I was becoming impatient really fast. When you could easily outrun the car you were driving in, speed limits seemed silly. I took out the thermos from my bag and opened it, taking a slug of the blood Eric'd put there. He wanted to make sure I didn't kill my brother because of sudden bloodlust.

He was doing it for me. I'm sure it would have been more convenient for everyone if Jason weren't around, if he weren't linked to me. But he was. And he respected that.

By the time I was parked in front of his house, I had drained my bottle and fortunately I didn't have to wait long before Jason was out the door. I really couldn't look towards the house since Bud had yet to take the yellow police tape off the railings.

Jason got in, took his seat beside me and took my hand in his, giving it a squeeze. I returned the gesture and put the car in drive.

Eric and Pam were already inside, judging by the car parked behind.

"Eric!" I yelled out, loud enough for anyone to hear as I opened the back door.

"In the office, Sookie!" he yelled back.

I liked Fangtasia to a certain point, but Monday nights were the best since it was closed. I didn't have to listen to fangbangers and overly glamoured bitches that were in heat over Eric, so I loved it tonight. I felt like I was saying goodbye to the place that's meant so much to me over the years, and in a way I guess I was.

This is where I met Eric, where I nearly died by Long Shadow's hand, where I got cured after the Maenaed attacked me, where I pledged myself to Eric. So many more memories came to me and then, as I saw the closed door of Eric's, it all came back to me.

I panicked instantly and he was beside me in an instant, opening the door and hugging me.

"What is it? What's got you panicked?" he asked.

"Sis, what's wrong?" Jason asked from beside me.

My hands were shaking and I clutched to Eric with everything I had.

"Eric, someone's going to kidnap me."

"What? Did you hear someone? How did you come about this? You were ok just now."

"No, no. Can we go in the office please?"

He lifted me and carried me inside, setting me on the couch.

"Speak," he ordered.

"I dreamt it, I think. But it didn't feel like a dream. I was there. My skin was burning, my ears were bleeding and I was hurting. I could feel you getting closer and then you were there, sword in hand, bursting through the door to the room that was my prison."

"Sookie, vampires don't dream," he said in a level voice.

"Well I did. Or I think I did. I don't know," I buried my head in my hands.

"When did this happen?" Pam's voice came from behind me.

"Tonight. I just didn't remember it right away. It's like when you wake up, try to remember what you dreamt of and you really can't."

"That happens to me all the time. Shit, Sook, I dream of beer and whatever. Your mind's fucked up," Jason burst out.

Eric growled and I put a hand over his. This was not the time for this.

"I didn't tell you earlier because I didn't remember it, Eric. I saw the closed door to your office, with light coming from underneath and that's when everything came back to me. Why did this happen to me?"

"I don't know, Sookie, but we'll figure it out. Vampires don't dream. Neither I, nor Pam have since we were turned. We just die for the day and sometimes we can be awoken, like when you saved us in Rhodes. Other than that, we're dead."

"I don't remember anything else but the dream until… you know," I said, and I would have blushed if possible.

"Well, we're just going to have to be extra careful then. You shall not leave my side or Pam's until we figure everything all out."

"What am I? Chopped liver?" Jason asked, sounding offended.

"No, but you're half a were. She's going to try and save you instead of saving herself."

"She'll do that if you're there too," he huffed and I knew he was right. I'd sacrifice my life for any of theirs.

"We're more powerful than you; we're harder to take out." Eric's voice indicated the debate was over.

"Ok. What time is it? Shall we go?"

"Yes, take off your coat and your pants, we need to dress the body. Jason, you too. Pam has some clothes for you. "

Jason followed Pam in the other room and I did as Eric asked of me, glad to be rid of the extra layers. I was, however sad my coat would not survive the night.

"I'll get you another, that looks the same," he said softly, his arms encircling me.

He knew it was more than a coat to me. He knew that it meant a lot to me because it was from him, because he gave it to me even though he didn't remember why I needed another when he got it for me. It showed he cared for me even when he didn't remember our time.

"Thank you, but it's this one that's dear to me. I have you now; I don't need the reminder you care for me."

"I'm glad you think so, Lover," he said, pressing a kiss to my lips.

Pam was tapping her foot anxiously.

"Can we get a move on? We must go and those bodies will not dress themselves."

If my back wasn't towards her, I'd have bet I could see her rolling her eyes right about now.

From there on, everything was a blur. I helped Eric dress the woman in my clothes, while Jason was whining about seeing another man's junk as he dressed the corpse in his own pants. Pam had done well. The Jane Doe she found at the nearby morgue looked a bit like me, and Joe at least was Jason's height. There wouldn't be much of them left to identify anyway.

We placed the bodies on the sofa, grabbed our stuff and took the stairs towards the dungeon.

Everything looked creepy down there, but I guess it did have its purpose. Violence wasn't an answer, but it sure helped when you didn't want to die.

Eric went ahead, tapping the stone wall that looked solid even to my new overly perceptive eyes. He pressed it in just the right places and then a door revealed itself to the left, sliding back to give us access. We all entered the tunnel and Eric placed another bomb on the wall there, like he'd done at every step along the way.

I knew the biggest bomb was sitting right under his throne in the bar, which was Eric's way of saying "goodbye and fuck you" to the long years he's spent as the main attraction to the "vermin".

The stone wall closed behind us and then, a few minutes later, we encountered another door. Eric opened that one as well, after maneuvering around us in the tight space. After that, the tunnel narrowed down even more. The click of the door behind us, left us in complete darkness, and Jason had to hold onto Pam so he wouldn't trip and fall.

Ten minutes later, I could nearly see the end of the tunnel, when Eric stopped. He took out the remote he'd been carrying and pressed the button.

The chain reaction bombs started going off and explosion after explosion filled our ears.

Fangtasia was down.

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><p>I know some of you were worried how it was out of character for Sookie to let innocents die. Well, I never even thought of bombing it when it was crowded, honestly. So that clears it.<p>

Just a heads up though, Sookie's not human anymore. Her moral lines have turned into blurs long time ago and now that she's a vampire she won't hesitate to slap a bitch, if you know what I mean. Her skin'll thicken even more and her queasiness with ugly things will die eventually. She'll not lose her compassion, but she won't tolerate things she'd let pass in the past.

So, what's up with that dream, eh? Will Jason be a dead weight or will he be helpfull?

I love your reviews, so let me know what you think!

xoxo

Gaby


	6. Another One

Yes, yes, I'm alive. I've missed you all. I don't wanna jinx it, but I think my mojo's back again. Ehm, I'll let you more about my last month at the bottom.

I hope you don't mind I've kept this chappy on the short side. I wanna do this for the story from now on. Maybe I'll be able to post more often like this.

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><p>I could feel Sookie's sadness in the bond. She was still feeling guilty over being the reason why we decided to blow up the bar and the house, considering she wasn't worth the trouble.<p>

But she was. She was worth this and much more. Money meant nothing for me and I would pay whatever it was needed to keep her safe. Her happiness, I knew now, had nothing to do with material things, but with me, our relationship and the wellbeing of her family and friends.

She'd need to adjust to this aspect faster than normal, but she was already doing exceptionally.

I wondered about the abilities she'll develop. Her "dream", as she called it, scared me in a way I can't correctly express. If she were to be taken I'd search under every speck of dust and every rock and kill everyone that stood in my way. A millennia of experience meant I had many allies. Maybe it was charisma, maybe it was diplomacy, but I had considerably more friends than foes. I was feared, so that helped as well, but it wasn't just that. I was respected as well. My only enemies were the ones that wanted to take Sookie or were afraid I'd want their throne.

Political status meant nothing for me and I didn't crave it, but I would not hesitate a second to kill a regent or two if needed, regardless of the consequences.

I pulled out my cell phone and dialed a number that would set off the bomb at the house. Sookie cringed next to me and I knew it upset her even more. I could only hope she'd be more at ease about money in the years to come. I had always been careful to not keep my money in traceable accounts. I was always ready to uproot my life if the situation demanded it, like now. It wasn't like I backed away from fights and wars, but I managed to live over a thousand years because I knew how to pick my battles.

I went ahead of the group and pushed open the trap door that opened inside the shed. I levitated upwards, extending a helping hand to Sookie, Jason and Pam who was huffing and puffing about "all the dust". She may have been wearing a simple jeans, t-shirt and jacket, but I knew they were all designer. Not to mention her boots.

Sookie raised a finger to her lips, motioning all of us to shut up. Her eyes closed and her brows furrowed in concentration. While she scanned the area with her mind, I concentrated on my own, trying to find a sound or smell that was out of place. As far as I could tell no one had been in the shed since its construction, years ago. The area was full of trees and it was out of any path your regular wanderer might take. I had chosen a good location for it.

Constructing the lengthy tunnel had been a nuisance, but I knew then that it would be worth it.

"It's all clear," Sookie said, smiling as she opened her eyes.

"Perfect. Let's proceed then."

The plan became trickier when Jason became involved, but he wasn't that much of a bother, really. I understood why he wanted to be away from Bon Temps and everything that reminded him of his dead girlfriend. As far as I knew from Sookie, they were getting along well and she had been a good influence for him. Just as Sookie is for me… If anything happened to her…

I was going to be holding Jason, while Pam hugged him from behind. Sookie would be holding onto my back. Even if she fed earlier, there was no reason to test her control. Not when it was her own brother. I imagined that if something were to ever happen and she'd become lost to her bloodlust, she'd feel terrible. That feeling could only be intensified if her victim were her brother.

Jason reluctantly stepped into my arms, joking that his sister better be the only Stackhouse I was hitting on, while Pam's arms held only to my shoulders and her legs encircled the both of us, just enough to secure Jason to me. Sookie's arms came around my neck and her legs lifted to my waist, entangling with Pam's.

It wasn't the most comfortable position, but it'd get us where we wanted.

"You sure ya' can carry all of us?" Jason asked.

"Positive. I can lift your truck in one hand and throw it around like it you throw a ball. I can handle the three of you".

He didn't say a word afterwards as I lifted to the sky a few meters.

"Everyone secure?"

"Yes", they all answered so I climbed up higher. We were all lucky there was no moon on the sky, people would have a hard time explaining the sighting.

I climbed higher, and held onto them as best I could from the position I was in. We were over the state line into Mississippi, when I felt Sookie's mood change.

Although she was on my back, holding tightly to my neck, it felt like she was straying away from me. Her presence in the bond was dimming by the second and I turned my head towards her as I slowed down a bit.

"Sookie? Are you blocking our bond?"

There was no answer from her. It all happened so fast. She disappeared completely from the bond and her hands and legs slackened from the grip they had on me. Sookie plummeted towards the ground, her eyes closed and her hair flowing around her face. Her entire body glowed slightly as she got closer and closer to the earth underneath us.

"Sookie", we all shouted at the same time.

Pam gripped me tighter, pressing Jason closer as I sped towards my bonded, praying I'd reach her in time, before she crashed.

I cursed myself for not being fast enough. I pushed myself. Faster, faster, faster and it wasn't enough to reach her. I'd wasted time. I had been so shocked to see her falling. STUPID. STUPID. STUPID.

She was falling and I couldn't save her. Sookie…

Suddenly, a few feet away from her end…our end… her eyes flew open. Her hands went to her sides and she stopped. Mid air. I sped towards her and grabbed her around the waist with one hand, taking her to the ground with us.

I landed and Pam pulled Jason away as I gathered Sookie in my arms.

"Lover," was all I managed to whisper.

She was alive. In my arms. She was ok.

"What happened?"

"Shh," I urged her, not quite ready to let her go.

I held her body to mine, wrapping my arms around her tightly, urging her to return the grip. She must have felt my desperation in the bond for she held onto me, burying her face in my neck and shushing me, running her fingers through my hair.

I breathed in her scent, enjoying the fact that her sweetness passed over. It was fainter, true, but it was there.

"Please?" she whispered.

I nodded and released her from the embrace slowly.

"You spaced out. I could feel you in the bond. And then you were gone. The bond went blank and your arms and legs got untangled and you fell. You stopped when you opened your eyes."

"Ow, shit. I better learn how to time this thing up. I dreamt again."

"What'd you dream, Sook?" Jason asked as he approached us. I was amazed he'd been able to stay away so long, and I knew I'd have to thanks Pam for that later on.

"It was actually you", she said and that earned a raised eyebrow.

"Me?"

"Yeah, I guess. You were changed… full panther. And you were on top of someone, a vampire's my guess. Your teeth were all bared and you were getting ready to rip his head off."

"Did you see where it happened?" I asked, knowing that could be of importance.

"I think it was Bon Temps, actually. It looked like Jason's front porch."

"I guess he'll be getting his revenge then", Pam offered and I nodded.

"So back to the second part", Sookie said. "I was falling, right? How did I stop?"

"When you went out of the trance and your eyes flew open, you stopped falling. Your hands went to your sides and you just stopped," I offered.

Sookie was still puzzling over it when Pam huffed. Her arms were crossed in front of her chest and she rolled her eyes.

"What?" I prodded.

"Another bitch that's gonna rub in my face that she can fly," she hissed. Yep, she was still sour she didn't get that gift from me. She was blaming me, like I had done something wrong with her change. Now that Sookie inherited the gift, she must have thought it only validated her theory.

"Fly? Me?" Sookie asked, not at all offended by Pam's snark. If I were being honest, her poker face was better than mine. While I couldn't keep the smirk away from my face, Sookie was deeply amused and hiding it perfectly.

"Yes. How else to explain it? There are a lot of things faeries can do, but flying isn't one of them, even given your ancestry."

"Wow, that's cool. Give it a try, Sook," Jason said, looking every bit like the age his mind was stuck on.

I held onto one of Sookie's hand and rose a feet in the air.

She was biting her lip and looking at me, doubt in her eyes. "How'd I do this?"

"Close your eyes. Empty your mind and feel your body, feel everything that surrounds it. Feel the magic within you and feel the elements around you. Let your center of gravity lower into your feet and push upwards."

She let out a sigh and did as I instructed. She managed to get as high as I was and then her eyes flew open and she shrieked, a sound somewhere between surprise and fear, before falling back down.

"OhmyGod!" she breathed out, a smile spread on her face.

"Great," Pam's bitchiness came with an eye roll. I could feel her pride in the bond though, so she could say whatever she wanted, I knew she was excited for Sookie.

"Don't lose your focus. It'll become as easy as breathing in time, but for now you need to keep focused. Can you do that?" I asked her. I didn't want to sound offending, but new born vampires' minds aren't usually as calm and calculate as when they were human. Sookie seemed to be the exception of the rule.

She simply smiled and rose by my side, hovering smoothly.

"Want to try for more?"

She didn't answer me, her smile gracing her features constantly. Sookie simply rose higher, pulling my hand after her. We went higher and higher, enjoying the wind on our exposed skin. We were feeding our excitement through the bond and even Pam looked slightly drunk when we came down.

"I think you can control it pretty good. You amaze me, Lover. I was only able to really fly when I was about 100 years old."

"Really? Well, give it to me to be a freak even after death," she snorted and Jason puffed out a laugh along with her. The fact that he'd accepted her change so fast was astounding to me.

"You may have felt like a freak, but your _**gift**_ is unique and valuable. Not in a capitalist kind of way, either. It's valuable because it gave you incredible insight in human and supe psychology. I understand that you've suffered while growing up, but the world is at your feet now. You're no longer a freak, disabled or any other bad word you've attributed to your telepathy. I've lived a thousand years, Sookie, and you're the first telepath to enter my path. You need to really understand how much good you can do with what you're given," I raved, finally having had enough of Sookie calling herself a freak.

I realized just then that my mood had more swings than hers.

Her eyes were wide and there were red tears gathering in the corners, but a smile played at her lips. She nodded and stepped into my body, wrapping her arms around me. The love that filled the bond in that second was like nothing else. I felt like my entire skin was warm, like the blood in my veins started moving along with my heart.

"Thank you," she breathed out in my chest.

"It's just the way it is, Lover. Come, let's go. Russell is excited to see you," I smiled into her hair.

"Shall we change the set up?" she asked as she stepped out of my embrace. I could feel her excitement in the bond. She wanted to spread her wings. She wanted to try her new power and she was excited to be able to do something she could control. These dreams she was having weren't something she knew how to control or where they came from, or even what they meant. Were they dreams or were they precognitions?

"You hold Pam, I'll hold Jason. Whatever you do, don't let go of my hand, though," I instructed. If another vision were to "drop by", I'd be able to catch her before it was too late.

I really didn't want to think what would have happened if she didn't come back like she had.

Pam smiled as she came forth and wrapped her arms around Sookie. She whispered something in her ear that I couldn't hear, but they were both feeling all warm through the bond, so everything was good as far as I could tell.

Jason came and wrapped his arms around me as I returned the gesture. My hand linked with Sookie's and we both took to the air, flying slowly at first, until she got her bearings and then we sped off towards Edgington's compound. He may be a nut job, but he was a very powerful ally that thought of Sookie as a friend.

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><p>So... I'm sorry for the last month. I've been busy with work, my muse has been fucking with me and my hormones are off the wall. Most of you know, after reading Songs of our Life that I have PCOS. Well, I've quit birth control and gone on another treatment. Hopefully sooner rather than later, baby number one'll be cooking.<p>

I'm sorry that all this has kept me from updating this story. It's not like I've been completely idle, though. For those of you who haven't noticed - I posted a one shot a few weeks ago - Infatuation. I just couldn't get that idea out of my head. I don't plan to continue it, though.

Enough rambling.

Leave me some love,

xoxo

Gaby


	7. Ingrained Cheekiness

**Hello Sweethearts!**

See? I told you I'd be a lil faster than usual.

Thank you so much for all the support. I can't express how much your kind words mean to me. Thank you all for all the encouragements both on the writing and the baby. It means a lot to me to know you're there for me. Thank you!

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><p><strong>SPOV<strong>

I could tell that what happened just half hour before had scared the beejesus out of Eric and I really couldn't argue with him at that. I blacked out.

That was enough to worry me as well. This "gift", or whatever it was that had me seeing things,was pissing me off on one side and enthralling me on the other. Somehow I felt like it had been enough over my lifetime to have heard so many things that I shouldn't have. Now I was seeing stuff as well. I was aware I would have to learn to master it, because having blackouts wasn't in anyone's interest. Blocking it wouldn't be in my interest either. Who knew what important detail I'd see. Until we knew for sure if they were random dreams or visions, I think it was safer to take them at their value.

Right now I knew that somehow, sometime, I might get abducted and Eric would come save me. There was something off about that vision though, but I couldn't put my finger on it.

I also knew that Jason might get his revenge or at least kill someone we considered a threat. Obviously, I couldn't be sure, but Michelle's death might have been a warning to Jason or simply a way to hurt him. I didn't want to think the world revolved around me, but when something nasty happened in Bon Temps it was usually directed at me in a way or another. Now, a threat against my brother was a direct threat against me and I think that had been pretty clear over the years. You didn't mess with the Stackhouse family without getting what was coming to you.

I don't know if it was due to my change or because of I was simply done with being everyone's doormat, but I was sensing a change inside me. My need for revenge was more prominent and my bullshit tolerance was at an all-time low.

I wondered if it was a vampire thing and if Eric always felt like this. After living a thousand years I assumed you either had more patience than normal or you became sick of it all and you simply didn't allow shit to gather up. I could now really appreciate the things Eric had done for me. If he felt even remotely as I did, it meant he suffered a lot over the years because of me.

Looking back at my life since I met my first vampire I realized a lot didn't fit together like it should. Starting with some of the things Bill has said or done and up to these political schemes that involved high amounts of backstabbing.

I felt like I could see things from another perspective now. Better, clearer. There are decisions in my past that I knew I wouldn't have taken if I had this clarity of mind. Most of them revolved around Bill, some around Quinn and some around my telepathy.

I would have thought twice about taking Bill back after he raped me or after he lied to me, instead of finding excuses for him. I'd have searched Quinn's mind to see if there were any ulterior motives to his attraction to me. I would have publicly offered my services as a telepath, making it hard for enemies to come at me while I was out in the open. Maybe putting a fee on my services wouldn't have been a half-bad idea. You wouldn't crave that badly someone that is willing to travel all over creation to help you out, right?

Eric must have sensed my musings and he tightened his grip on my hand. He didn't push to ask what was going on in my head and I was grateful for that. He knew I'd tell him when I was ready, if there was something really bothering me.

It wasn't necessarily how our relationship had gone in the past, but we were on another level now. There was a tacit understanding between us. We were partners, we always had been, but there was a difference now. I trusted him completely. Any doubt I had about him turned to ash and I knew he'd do anything to keep me safe. He didn't live a millennia by putting himself in danger, but he'd done it in the past few years. I knew that he'd only done it for my benefit, for me, for keeping me safe regardless of the consequences on his own life.

And that only made me love him more.

Since I'd been so lost in my own thoughts I didn't even realize we were almost at Russell's compound. The way I met him was anything but ordinary. I saved his second in command's life and then he saved mine, by taking care of me. Sure, the kudos went to Eric who fed me his blood then, but Russell could have killed me just because I was a nuisance to him. Then, when I went and helped Bill escape, instead of being furious at me, he was impressed. Impressed by a twenty something barmaid in nowhere, Louisiana. That had to say something since I knew he was older than Eric and vampries that age weren't easily swayed.

We landed in front of the house, scaring the shit out of Russell's guards. I chuckled lightly as they moved to form a wall.

"Stand down, gentlemen. The king is waiting for us," Eric said after he released Jason from his arms.

"Name," one of the guards demanded.

"Northman."

"It's ok, Ramon. They're my guests," came Russell's voice as he opened the door.

"Your Majesty," Eric bowed and we mimicked his movements, albeit Jason's was awkward and done after he looked panicked from left to right.

"Rise, rise. No need for this type of things. Really, Northman," Russell urged.

"Of course," Eric said as he straightened. We folowed suit and found the king smiling brightly.

"Miss Ravenscroft, Mr. Stackhouse and Mrs. Northman, right?" he winked at me. I would have blushed. Really. It was true, we were married under vampire law and I guess that's what mattered. Jason looked surprised but wisely shut up.

"I do like the sound of that," I grinned, winking at Eric. It wasn't the normal response you give to a king, but hey! we were buddies of sort.

"Glad to see your cheekiness wasn't lost in transition," he rolled his eyes, but a smile still played at his lips.

"Oh, I thought the personality traits ingrained in the human are only enhanced. Maybe mine has as well," I offered.

"Maybe, my dear. Maybe. Shall we?" he directed us inside.

I walked beside Eric, Pam and Jason folowing us behind.

"I'll lead you to your quarters. You are welcome to stay here as long as you wish, of course. We'll see how things evolve and we'll contact whoever it is necessary to help your training my dear. I expect you'll develop quite the powers if your telepathy is any indication," he said, studying me.

I said nothing of what has already come to light since we hadn't discussed among ourselves exactly how much to share.

"I'm not going to get anything from you for now, am I? Very well, very well. I know you'll tell me whatever you can when you can. I do love mysteries," he mused.

"Your Highness, it's not that we want to keep things from you, it's just that we don't know exactly what's what," Eric said.

"I understand that you need to keep your mate safe, but I'm only here to help," Russell smiled. "Also, none of that formalities here".

Since I had been reading his mind since we entered the compound, I gave Eric's hand a light squeeze and a slight nod.

"We'll discuss everything tomorrow. There are a lot of steps to be taken to ensure her safety and ours. We're dead for all Felipe and Victor know. We're safe for a while, but I'd rather be vigilant than play with our safety."

"I understand. This is your room and the next two over are Pamela's and Jason's. I'll see you at first dark," Russell said before turning towards his own quarters.

Instead of retiring to our respective chambers, we all went inside mine and Eric's room. He did a quick sweep of the room, looking for any listening devices and when he was satisfied there was nothing hidded, he returned to our side.

"Sookie?" he asked in a shushed tone. Just because there was no one recording us, it didn't mean that sensitive ears couldn't listen in.

"Everything good as far as I can tell. He's honest. He really wants to help us. I think we can trust him. I'll keep an eye on him further on to make sure. I think we can tell him what's happening."

"What of the guards?" Pam asked, in the same hushed voice.

"They're loyal to Russell. They knew to expect us, but nothing more. I'll do a sweep of the donors tomorrow evening just to make sure."

"Will ya'll tell him about the mind reading thing?" Jason asked, reffering to her ability of reading vampire minds.

"I think that'd be better kept between the four of us. If it comes out, I think he'd be able to keep the secret. He likes observing me. He's never met a telepath before and my "spit-fire" ways are entertaining to him. I can't predict how he'd react to knowing I can read his every thought, though. Eric?"

"We don't say anything. We'll tell him about the visions and I think it's best if we talk to him about your heritage. Niall is someone Russell's known for a lot of centuries. I don't know any of the details, but I do know of their relationship."

"Good. Then it's settled. We'll meet tomorrow. Jason, please, try and stay in your room. I'm sure Russell let some kind of instructions to the staff to see to your meals, but don't wonder around. At least, not untill we have everything settled tomorrow, ok?" I asked of my brother, knowing he was one to snoop around.

He nodded his consent and was thinking that he didn't feel like doing anything anyway. His remorse over Michelle's death was heavy in his mind and he missed her. He was conflicted if it was the right thing to do to leave Bon Temps so soon after her death, but he was sure he'd find her killers if he was with us. My vision from earlier gave him hope on that front as well. He was picturing himself as he looked like while he shifted. He was seeing himself in a shine of a pond and the reflection was nothing like I saw him in my mind hours before. But I knew it was Jason… I was sure of it. It wasn't another panther, it was him, my brother.

The image in Jason's mind showed a mangy looking panther, with patches of hair missing, with diformities and lumps on his back. In my vision Jason looked all like the panther he should be – shiny black coat, clear, pretty eyes, paws the size of his hand and threatening fangs. The two images were nothing alike and yet, I knew it was the same man.

Pam and Jason retired to their own rooms and I was left alone with Eric. He left m thinking of everything I had on my mind and instead took upon himself getting rid of my clothes. One by one, my clothes fell to the ground and I was left bare in front of him.

I felt his lust through the bond and it fired up something inside me. Something that couldn't posibly have enough of him, something that could never be close enough to its soulmate. I wanted to be closer, that much closer. I bared my fangs and jumped in his arms. His arms wrapped around me just as my legs tied around this waist. I was hungry, I was horny and I thirsted for Eric. I kissed his lips before and, sensing my needs, he tilted his neck in offering to me.

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><p>Sooo, guess there's a lemon next. :D What do you all think? Let me know!<p>

xoxo

Gaby


	8. Light

Hey everyone! Yes, I know, I suck. I don't even have an excuse anymore. Big thanks go to my lovely beta,** BelleViolette**. Go read her new update for **Soulbound**!

As a side note, please check my website (gabrielleblue dot wordpress dot com). THis chappy's been there since yesterday, since FF didn't log in for me and I couldn't upload. Plus, I spent like an entire day working on it a few weeks back and I'm really proud of it. :D xoxo

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><p><strong>SPOV<strong>

His blood on my tongue, his hands on my hips were enough to put me into a frenzy. My skin felt electrified again and I remembered for a split second that I was no longer human. My need for him blended with his own and it fired back and forth between us.

My back suddenly hit the wall and I hadn't even known we were moving. His fingers found their way inside me just as I was licking clean the wounds on his neck. He kissed me then, his tongue battling with mine as I ground on his fingers, desperate to get off.

His thumb pressed on my clit just as his tongue pierced on my fangs. The combined sensations sent me over the edge, screaming his name.

I heard a ripping sound and felt the head of his cock brushing through my folds. I had no idea where his pants had gone, but I wasn't going to complain. I groaned at the sensation and tightened my hold on his shoulders. He entered me in one quick thrust and I cried out at the feeling. I don't think I'd ever get used to the way he felt when he pushed inside me for the first time, and I don't know if I wanted to.

"Fuck," I cried out, throwing my head back as he pumped in and out of me.

"That's right Sookie. Scream. Scream my name, for everyone to hear. You're mine," he growled into my neck.

"Eric!" I whimpered in pleasure, spurred on by his words. I bared my neck to him, further offering myself to him. He was my past, my present, my future and I was his with all I had to offer – heart, body and soul. Everything I am, belonged to him.

The bond between us sang as his fangs pierced my throat. The intensity of his feelings flooded me just as my blood spilled in his mouth and I was climbing rapidly that steep hill towards bliss. His hips moved at vampire speed and I felt his thrill at not having to slow himself down. I was vampire, I wasn't breakable anymore; I felt invincible.

I pulled at his face, willing him to kiss me. His lips slid perfectly with mine and I pulled him closer. I needed more of him. Eric's tongue caressed mine and his movements hastened, bringing me to a sweet climax. He swallowed my moans and screams and let out a loud groan as he joined me. His weight pressed me further into the wall and I felt loved and secure.

Eric's arms moved around me as he pushed us away from the wall and moved towards the bed. He threw me on the mattress playfully and jumped after me, but stopped, a few centimeters away from the sheets, and levitated.

"Smartass," I said with a smile.

He was content to just smirk. Eric lifted his fingers to my face and gently caressed my cheek. His affection filled the bond once more and it made me smile. To think I'd been so stupid for so long, thinking I could live without him. I had been so, so wrong. He'd been so patient and loving and I regretted every snarky remark and ill tempered hissy fit I had because of something I thought he meant.

"_None of that. We're together now," _he thought to me. I just nodded and leaned forward, pressing my lips to his.

"I love you," I said out loud.

"Forever," he smiled and kissed me once more.

I cuddled closer to him, settling in the nook of his arm, my face on his chest. His arm tightened around me and the last thing I felt before I let myself slip into my day slumber, were his lips on my forehead.

I could feel the sun had set and I opened my eyes to find Eric watching me with a smile. I kissed him briefly, but soon found myself slipping back, fading away from reality.

_My vision clouded. It turned red. I was breathing heavily and there was a growl coming from my throat. It was dark outside and I was angry. Angry as I'd never been in my life. The claws at the end of my paws were bloody and they pressed heavily in the body that lay under me. There was blood on my fangs as well and I looked down to find a vampire with half his throat ripped out, his face mangled and contorted in pain. _

_Victor. It was Victor. _

_I felt my anger spike once more and I dove for his throat. My paws hit the ground as his body turned to ash._

I awoke with a start, finding a worried Eric looming over me, Pam at his side.

"Another vision?" he asked more calmly this time. Poor Eric, it must be terrible for him.

"Yeah. I think it was Jason. He was a panther and he had attacked a vampire. He had him pinned and he'd already ripped half his throat. And then, before I could think, he ended him. It was the same as earlier, just more detailed."

"Who's him? Did you know him?" Pam asked.

"Victor."

"What?" Eric asked.

"It was Victor. Jason kills Victor. Well, at least if things go as I'm imagining or daydreaming, or whatever the hell I'm doing," I said frustrated. I really wanted to know what the heck was going on with me.

"We'll get to the bottom of things. I swear to you," he promised me.

"I hope so. I really want to know how to control this thing. What if it happens when we're flying again or when we're in the middle of something important?"

"I'll protect you no matter what," he said and I knew he meant it. I could feel his determination and a wave of protectiveness wash over me.

"Pam, will you please let me get dressed? I'll be out in a minute," I said, silently thanking Eric for covering me with a sheet.

"Still shy? My, my, little fairy, aren't you a prude," she taunted and I stuck my tongue out at her.

"I didn't become another person when I became vampire, Pam. Out," I told her.

"Yeah, yeah. Hurry up for that meeting. I'm sure Russell's waiting," she called over her shoulder as she headed for the door.

As soon as it was closed I got off the bed and walked towards the closet. I rummaged through the items when I felt Eric's strong arms wrapped around me.

"Want to talk about it?" he whispered in my hair.

"Not now. I feel like I'm missing something, but I have no idea what it is. Let me mull over it awhile," I replied.

He simply nodded and released me.

We both found our clothes and I burst into laughter when we turned to face each other. Black jeans, black tank top. We already were _that_ couple.

Eric took my hand and led me downstairs, towards Russell's office. The King of Mississippi was waiting for us with a smile on his face.

"Ah, the Northmans. I'd thought for sure I'd be seeing you earlier, but then I remembered you are only days old, my dear. It must be my old age," he proclaimed in a dramatic tone.

"That's silly, Russell. You don't look a day over a thousand," I said.

"Oh, how you hurt me," he replied, his hand going to his unbeating heart. I snorted and Eric smirked at our interaction.

"So, tell me, where is the lovely Pamela and Mr. Stackhouse?"

"On their way," Eric replied.

"Very well. Shall we wait or shall we start?"

"We can start," I said. There was no point in waiting. Pam knew everything and Jason really didn't have to.

"I thought, at first, it would only be the two of you and Pam. Why is Jason here? I'm merely curious," he added in a defensive tone.

I glanced at Eric and he gave me a short nod.

"Someone murdered his fiancé. They had just found her the night I rose. It appears to have been supernatural. He said he doesn't recognize the scent, so it's not someone from town."

"Her scent? I noticed there was something supernatural about him. I'm guessing it's more than just the fae in him", Russell asked.

"No. He's a werepanther. He got bit a few years ago and he actually turned. It was a slim chance, but it happened," I told him. "I'm surprised you didn't know since you've been monitoring me since Jackson."

He raised an eyebrow and I could feel Eric's surprise.

"You knew?"

"Of course I knew. One of your men was an open book for me," I tapped my temple. "I figured they didn't mean me harm and I knew they came from you so I just relaxed."

I could feel Eric's disapproval, but he didn't show anything. He sure didn't like that I hadn't told him, but I felt safe and it slipped my mind after a while.

"Their job was to make sure you were safe, in a way. If anything happened, they'd have intervened. There was nothing my man could do when Victor and Felipe came to your home that night, but they were there when you were alone. However, they couldn't intervene in other situations…", he trailed off.

I simply nodded. There was no way I was gonna thank him, since that was completely high handed of him, but I wasn't going to diss him either, knowing his intensions were good.

"Did we miss anything," Pam's voice asked as she entered the room with Jason in tow.

"Just catching up," Eric said in a tone that let Pam know she'd find out more later on.

"Please, take a seat," Russell said. As soon as they did, he leaned in over his desk, joined his hands and cleared his throat.

"Now, let's get down to business. Go over the situation again."

Eric went on and told him about the last months under the new regime and how Victor was quickly becoming more and more involved in Area 5 politics. He expressed his concerns that Felipe would try to take me if he found out I was turned after assassinating Eric.

"Well, you're safe here as long as they don't figure it out. I promise our help if anyone comes after you. You'll just say you've sworn fealty to me and that little bitch can suck it if he doesn't like it. I'm sure Indiana will help as well. He's always a sweetheart when it comes to Eric since he's the one that married us," Russell pointed out.

"Thank you."

"You're most welcome dear. Now tell me, how are things with you? Any ability you've developed yet?"

I could read in his mind that everything he'd said this far had been true and I knew he was really just curious. I felt like there was something hidden in his mind, but I couldn't get past that wall.

"I've been having visions, I think. I see things in my mind and I go into a sort of trance while this happens. It kind of scares me since it can happen anytime and there's no way to prepare for it. I had a vision when we were coming here and I crashed from the sky," I told him about my… our concern.

"I see. What were the visions about?" he asked, leaning forward once more.

"First one I was being kept somewhere, silver was burning my skin. And then, suddenly Eric was there. The second one I was a werepanther and I was getting ready to kill someone, a vampire. When I rose tonight I had another one, the same one actually. Same panther killing off the vampire. It was Victor," I said.

Jason gasped behind me and his mind was filled with questions.

"You still think it was me, sis? You said it was a full panther and I only shift in a mangy, ugly thing," he said. He was feeling sorry for himself for looking like that as a panther. Can't say I blame him since he's good looking in his human form, but really… vain much?

"It's more of a gut feeling, yes," I told him as much. I'd come to know my brother inside out ever since we were kids and I knew how he "felt" due to my telepathy. In those moments, as a panther, I felt like home somehow. It was too familiar to be someone else. Plus, if we were going to figure this shit out, I needed him to know what's going on.

"Sookie, is this… foreseeing gift of yours ever manifested before you were turned?" Russell asked and everyone looked at me.

"Nope. Ever. I've always been able to read minds, but that was it. And we don't even know if I'm not dreaming stuff up," I said.

"Vampires don't dream, Sookie," came Eric's soft voice from beside me.

Shit. I knew that. I had to have known that. I was just stupidly hoping it was a fluke.

"Maybe this is happening just because I'm a newborn? Maybe my human features are still there and that's why I'm still dreaming." I really didn't want any of the stuff I was seeing to come true.

"That's impossible my dear. However, this ability of yours is not unheard of. I'm sure we can find at least some information in old books or from old vampires. I'll make a few phone calls and try to stay vague, although I'm certain she'll already know what I'm talking about," Russell said.

"Who are you talking about?" Eric asked. I could feel his concern in the bond.

"The Ancient Pythoness, of course. I'm sure she already knows about Sookie and everything that's happened and I know for a fact that she won't say anything to anyone."

Eric simply nodded. His trust in the ancient vampire was easy to see, as was the high regard in which he held her.

"Alright. We're burning moonlight. Do you want to start training?" Russell asked me.

"What kind of training are we talking about?"

"Well, I was thinking you need to learn to properly protect yourself. I'm sure the Viking will agree with me on this. Also, you need to learn to control your abilities."

I didn't need to think about it. I could feel Eric's approval in the bond and frankly, I wanted this too. I wanted to be able to control my urges, my strength. I wanted to know the limitations of my abilities, to test them out, to spread my wings. If I was going to be able to properly protect myself and my loved ones I needed to know myself as much as I knew my opponents.

"I like the sound of that."

Russell was suddenly standing and we all followed him to the upper level of the mansion, where a huge training area lay.

"How will we do this?"

"I can help you with your physical training, weapons. I know various techniques that will come in handy", Eric said, his hand on my shoulder, squeezing reassuringly.

"And I'll help you with your other abilities," Russell said.

I raised an eyebrow at him, wondering how he could help me with my telepathy and visions. I tried looking in his mind, only to hit a brick wall. I tried and tried and I couldn't get past this shield. I gave up.

"I need you to be focused first, so I want to do a little relaxation exercises, to help along", Russell said.

Eric sent me courage and pride, encouraging me to trust the man in front of me. I took his waiting hand and let him drag me to a set of mats in the corner of the room.

He sat down, legs folded and I mimicked his position.

"Close your eyes and breathe deeply. I know you don't need it, per se, but it will help."

I did as he asked and I could feel myself calming down, reaching a state of tranquility. I smiled softly.

"Now let your mind expand. Let it search as far as you can, but don't read the minds you encounter."

I wanted to open my eyes and check his features and see if maybe he knew about the recent developments in my telepathy, but couldn't risk it. If he didn't know then he'd certainly suspect it then.

Instead, I did as he said. I let my mind scan the building, letting it flow farther that it even could when I was human. I felt it expanding and expanding, until I was sure I'd covered the entire estate, since I encountered weres and I knew for a fact that they were guarding the walls. From previous experiences, that is… like saving Bill's ass.

"How far did you get?"

"I just found Maxwell, your head were guard."

"I told you not to read them," Russell said.

"I didn't. I recognized him from before. Every mind has a signature."

"How about vampires?" he asked and I wasn't sure what he was asking exactly.

"Vampires too," I replied. Let him figure that one out.

I could feel Eric's amusement. He'd been sitting along with Pam and Jason and he watched carefully what we were doing. He was trying his best not to interfere with our session.

"Now the other way. Look inside yourself. Search for the place where your abilities are."

"You mean like my heart?"

"No. I mean your core, Sookie. Your Light. Find it".

I opened my eyes and studied him.

"What Light?" I pushed.

Russell's eyes flew open. "Your fae light, Sookie."

"How do you know about it?"

"I have my ways and now is not the time for talking. Do as I say," he said, irritation clear in his voice.

I tried to read his mind again and I felt like a force was pushing me out of his mind. I suppressed a gasp and retreated. I closed my eyes and tried to calm myself, looking for that tranquil zone again.

Once I reached it, I tried doing as instructed, but couldn't grasp it.

"This is frustrating", I huffed.

"Try putting an image to it. Try visualizing your energy core, Sookie," Russell said, his voice back to the kind tone I knew.

I looked again, until I found the core, imagining it as a big pulsing Sun.

"What now", I whispered, somehow afraid that speaking louder would make it disappear.

"Now image you can manipulate it, image you can change its shape however you want. Let it expand through your body."

I couldn't help but wonder once more how he knew all of this. I let it slide and tried doing as he asked. Now was not the time.

I delve inside again and pictured the little ball of sunlight as an inflatable balloon, letting it grow and grow and fill me from the inside out.

I heard gasps around me and I immediately lost my concentration. Everything shattered away.

Eric, Pam and Jason were looking at me, eyes wide open.

"What?"

"Sookie, you were glowing…" Eric said.

"You're all fucking with me. I can't glow."

"Yes, you can. That was the fae in you making itself known, Sookie," Russell said gently. "Right now you can't control it, but when you will, you'll be a force to be reckoned with."

I looked at him like he'd sprouted another head.

"How the hell do you know all this Russell? What are you keeping from me, from us?"

"As I said, little one, this is not the time."

Eric felt my frustration and came to join me in a second.

"While we're grateful for your help, Russell, I will not stand for you hiding this kind of information from us. We'll be leaving at first dark tomorrow," he said firmly.

The King raised his hands in a defensive stance.

"I promise you, I will tell you everything when the time comes. For now, it's not important how I know all this, it's important that I do and that I can help Sookie. You will need to trust me if you want me trust you back, yes?" he said.

With that, he was on his feet and walking towards the door.

"Please, carry on. She and Jason need to learn how to fight. That is your expertise, Viking. I hope you decide against leaving. We have much work to do."

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><p>Much love! Let me know what you all think!<p> 


	9. Newborn

Hey everyone! I have no excuses for going this long without updating... I'm doing all I can, seriously. I'm sorry. truly.

I want to thank my new friend, InvertedMeridian for going over this chapter. You should totally go check out her story!

Disclaimer: I'm not CH. She'd never let Sookie be a vamp, right?

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><p><strong>Newborn<strong>

As soon as Russell left, I felt like my blood was boiling. I was furious. What was he hiding? What didn't he want us to know? How the heck was he blocking me, pushing me out of his mind?

I was reeling, I was fuming and I felt like I needed to crush something. Trash the room, break the doors, smash the windows. It took everything in me not to go after Russell and stake him.

FUCK!

Eric's hands were on me and he was saying something that I couldn't quite make up. It was like my entire vision was red.

"Sookie, breathe," came his voice, laced with worry.

I struggled against his hold. I didn't want to calm down, I didn't want to settle down; I wanted to break and burn and destroy.

Instead, I could feel myself calming down, like a warm blanket was being wrapped around me. I realized it was Eric's influence on me and I fought against it. And then his eyes lowered to mine and I was done.

His hands moved soothingly over my shoulders and I closed my eyes. Breathe in. Breathe out.

"Well, there's a sign she's actually Vampire. Extreme anger," said Pam.

"Pamela!"

Eric didn't shout, he didn't scream, but his voice was stern.

"Sookie, you need to settle down."

"I'm sorry," I stammered out, my body still shaking with the aftermaths of my anger. "I don't know where that came from."

"It's something you need to learn to control. Extreme emotions are something young vampires encounter. Anger, happiness, lust, hunger. I should have expected something like this to happen, but you've been so controlled it sometimes slips my mind that you're only a few days old."

"Can we… can we go on with the training, please?" I asked. I didn't want to think about my outburst. I was ashamed of myself, embarrassed I had let them see me like this. Thankfully, Jason wasn't afraid of me or I'd have felt even worse.

Pam was smirking at me, but I could tell it wasn't mean or anything. I guess she felt better to know that I was having some difficulties, just like she'd had when Eric turned her.

As for our Maker… he was still watching me cautiously, checking the bond, I knew, to make sure I wouldn't blow off again. Our eyes locked and I gave him a little smile, trying to convey that I really was much better.

He nodded and took a step back.

"Alright. Jason, join your sister. Pam, if you would," he said and waited for everyone to get into place.

The next couple of hours were actually fun and I at least got to let some steam off. He went over and over various battle stances, hand to hand combat moves, numerous styles and how best to use our strength. He showed me and Jason what the best places to attack a vampire were. I'm not proud to admit that I found myself on my ass more often than I cared to count.

"If you hit your attacker here," he said, pointing to the side of the neck,"you'll knock him down and you can easily rip one of his hands off. While we may not breathe anymore, it's still a sensitive spot and any injury there will incapacitate your target for the split second you need to do a lot of damage."

"How 'bout when I'm a panther? What then?" Jason asked.

"Well, we can't exactly practice that now, since you can't change before full moon, but we're only about two days from that. Are you remotely conscious when you've changed?"

"Yeah. I mean, I think so. I understand what's happening around me and remember it the next day too", he said and Eric briefly looked at Pam. If it weren't for the bond, I wouldn't know he was surprised.

"It's settled then. I think we are done for the night. Tomorrow we try sword play," Eric said.

"Ain't that dangerous?"

"Everything is, but you still need learn how to protect yourself, yes?"

Jason merely nodded and proclaimed he was taking a shower. Pam made an excuse to leave the room as well and I was left alone with Eric.

"Are you ok?" he asked, his voice low and concerned.

"Yeah. I'm much better now. I'm SO sorry for earlier. I don't know what came over me."

"It's normal for newborns, Sookie. I should have warned you, should have told you everything before jumping to the offer and changing you. Alas, we play the hands we're dealt," he said and remained quiet for a few moments. His voice was lower when he asked: "Do you regret it?"

"No!" I nearly shouted. How could he ask that? "Of course not. You couldn't have known how I'd be after I rose. It was all a lottery. Just like this ability of mine. I could have risen with no telepathy, no dreams, no flying. I didn't know how my life would be, but I did know what I was signing in for, and that is a very long life with you by my side," I told him, my fingers lightly caressing his cheeks.

"I will teach you everything I know, Sookie, I promise."

"I know you will."

"How about a new lesson, then?" he asked, his eyes lit up at the thought.

"Whatever you want," I agree. I wanted to learn everything he could teach me, everything he'd taught himself in over a thousand years.

"I want to teach you how to feed."

He said nothing else, watching and waiting for my reaction.

I knew this was supposed to be coming. I'd been a vampire for a few nights now and all I'd had were a few blood bags and Eric's. We really got lost in each other or I know he would have brought this up earlier. I didn't count the True Bloods cause those were simply vial. I was excited but scared at the idea, afraid I'd somehow kill my donor.

My fangs ran out and I felt my hunger pulsing in them. Something inside me craved the feel of rushing blood; fresh, hot blood.

Eric smirked when he sensed the desires running through my body.

"Come," he said, taking my hand and guiding me outside the room.

My mind was going a million miles a minute and I felt like I was going to explode any minute. I was conflicted. A war was going on inside me between my human sensitivities and my brand new vampire urges.

I took deep breaths, trying to calm myself down before I went on a rampage. I didn't want to hurt the donors, let alone kill them by mistake. What I didn't take into consideration was the way they smelt. Once we entered the donor's lounge I had to grip Eric's hand like my life depended on it.

"Relax, Lover. I'm right beside you and I won't leave you."

I nodded and closed my eyes, letting my shields down. I couldn't help but notice how much easier controlling my ability was since I got turned. The men and women in the room were all curious, their eyes on us. Some had the typical fang banger fantasies going through their minds, picturing having sex with Eric, me or the both of us. Eww. It was nothing new, sure, but still…

I ended up focusing on a girl who hadn't been here long and whose thoughts were in the PG area. She was about my size, so reaching her throat wouldn't be a problem. Plus, her relatively clean mind would be easier to tolerate if my shields failed. I had no idea if I'd be able to feed and keep my ability in check at the same time.

"The blonde in light grey," I told Eric and he motioned for her to join us.

Silently we all moved into a room that was a combination between an office and a bedroom

"Hi. I'm Eric and this is my childe Sookie. She's a newborn and this is the first time she feeds from a live donor. Chances are it's going to sting you a little, but I promise you won't be hurt. If you want to leave, please do so now. If not, get closer."

"I'm ok," the girl said and took a step closer.

I suddenly felt like a chicken shit. My eyes shifted to Eric's and I'm sure my panic was clear, even if he could also feel me.

"Just think of all the times you fed me, Sookie. Think of all I did to help you relax and how to make it hurt less for her."

"But that usually led to other… things," I said and Eric snickered. Oh, ha ha! I guess vampires shy of talking about their sex lives were amusing.

"Feeding and sex go hand in hand for us, but both parties have to be willing. I'm going to guess her thoughts weren't as the other donors, or you wouldn't have chosen her, yes?"

"Yeah. Ok."

I took a deep breath and I could smell her sweet fragrance. Underneath her soaps, lotions and makeup she still smelled nice. I took a step forward, putting our bodies together and she offered me a small, encouraging smile.

"I don't want to hurt you. I'm sorry if I do," I told her, feeling the need to get that out.

She merely nodded and pulled her hair away from her neck, tilting her head slightly. My fangs popped down and my throat clenched.

I looked over at Eric again as I put my arms around her waist.

"Aim for her carotid and bite slowly so you don't hurt her. Fasten your lips around the wound and pull softly so you don't choke on the blood. Can you hear her heartbeat?"

"Yes."

"Try focusing on that. When it starts to slow down you've had all that she can give you tonight. I'll tell you when to stop, nonetheless. If you don't stop on your own, I'll use force. Are we clear?"

I merely nodded and felt myself overcome with another feeling altogether. Eric had gone into Maker/boss mode and it was hot as hell.

The quickening pulse under her skin grabbed my attention and suddenly it was the only thing that existed. My ears pulsed in rhythm with her heartbeat. I forced myself calm as I leaned in to her neck. My fingers caressed the small of her back and I licked her slowly from the base of her neck up, trying to make her relax and testing my restraint at the same time.

I pushed my fangs in and that's the last thing I remember. Warm. Thick. Sweet.

Life. My nerve endings were on fire. Just like then. The first night. Everything was richer. Sweeter.

More. I needed more.

There was nothing for me but her blood going down my throat. No voice. No trembling. No Eric.

An arm circling my waist snapped me out of it.

"Slow down," Eric's voice commanded and I felt compelled to do it.

The second I did what he said, I heard her heartbeat. It was fading. Fast. I swallowed the last mouthful and retracted my fangs as softly as I could. I had hurt her. Oh god.

"She's ok. Lick her wounds, Sookie," Eric's voice whispered from behind me, his arm still in a vice-like grip.

I leaned into her again and it took all my will power not to let my fangs slip into her throat again. I licked the remnants of blood from her neck until her wounds were healed. I brought my hand up and pricked my finger in my right fang. Slowly, as Eric's done a million times, I pressed my blood into her wounds.

I let myself lean into Eric's chest and released her waist, taking a deep breath to control myself.

The girl smiled and despite being a bit wobbly, seemed OK.

"Thank you for your trouble," I said. Gran would whoop my ass if I didn't thank her. No matter that it was for feeding me, no matter how strange that sounded. She'd still serve my ass on a platter if I didn't do as she'd raised me.

"Sure."

"You may retire now," Eric said in a stern voice.

He was trying to control himself. I could feel his hard length pushing into the small of my back. I shivered as lust fired up inside of me again.

Before the donor was out of the room, I had turned into his arms. My arms were around his neck and our lips crashed together in our haste. I lifted my legs to his waist and his hands cupped my ass. Kneading. Caressing.

I ripped at his T-shirt, desperate to feel his skin on mine.

My back hit a wall and our lips separated. He looked at me with so much love. His fingers trailed my cheek, then lower, on my neck, and lower, between my breasts until he reached the first buttons of my shirt. I shivered under his touch and gasped when he ripped open my blouse, buttons flying everywhere.

I pulled him closer then. I wanted to weld us together, to never leave his side ever again. I groaned as millions of fireworks exploded under my skin when we touched. The fresh blood in my system made me feel electrified all over again.

I gasped Eric's name as one of his hands found its way in the back of my pants. He put me down and pushed my pants down my hips just as I fumbled with his belt. He turned me around and pressed me into the wall.

My back arched, pushing my ass towards him. I wanted him. I needed him. Now.

His large hands were gripping my hips tightly as he ground his erection between my cheeks. His body molded to mine and he licked the skin of my neck.

"You were spectacular lover. I've been trying to control myself ever since you licked her neck to prepare her", he whispered as his hand lowered to my pussy.

His fingers circling, pressing on my clit; his skin on mine; his cock against my back. I couldn't take it anymore.

"Eric, please. No teasing. I need you. Now," I panted, completely beyond caring that I was begging.

His hand disappeared from between my legs and I soon felt his hardness pushing inside me.

I gasped and my hands clawed at the wall I was propped against.

Over and over he thrust, bringing me to the edge slowing down, changing the rhythm, changing his movements. I was panting and grunting and moaning and I didn't care who heard me.

"Let me cum, Viking. Please," I said and pushed back against his hips, edging him on.

One hand on my hip, the other in my hair, he pulled my head back for a kiss and started drilling into me. I felt it building again, growing larger and larger until my orgasm washed over me. I could feel it in every cell of my body. I tingled all over and if it weren't for Eric's hand I'd have collapsed to the floor.

He chuckled that I might be the only vampire to ever get weak in the knees. I'd have slapped him for it, but he was probably right.

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><p>Let me know what you think. I'm such a review hoe. Make my day? Maybe?<p>

xoxo

Gaby


	10. Excuse me?

Hi everyone! I don't even have any excuses anymore. Really. I just hope you still want to read this story play out.

Big thanks go to InvertedMeridian who has been so awesome and to Keri (BelleViolette) who keeps supporting me even after all this time.

Without further nonsense, here is the chapter:

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><p>Despite the fact that I had hoped my anger would die down by the next night, that didn't happen. As soon as I rose for the night, my mind went to the meeting that we were supposed to have tonight and, with that, my mood soured.<p>

I had a nagging feeling that Russell was hiding something, but I didn't know what. True, I'd scanned his mind, but always found it impossible to pass over a certain barrier. I couldn't push through, despite the fact that my ability was considerably stronger that it had ever been.

And yet, I waited anxiously for the next meeting, wondering how Russell actually intended to train me in these matters and how he knew to do these things. How did he know about the fae energy core? How did he know about any of this?

It was so frustrating! Since there were so many sensitive ears around us, Eric and I had a hush-hush conversation about the entire thing and we hadn't managed to come with any viable answers. Eventually we just convened that we should trust Russell and just be done with the whole thing. Suspecting the only ally we had wasn't necessarily the best way to go about this.

So, that evening, we met again in the training room. The king of Mississippi was already on the mat he'd taken the night before. He smiled as we all entered the room and instructed everyone else to simply take a seat anywhere in the room. Pam and Jason chose to sit propped up against a wall, while Eric took a seat much closer to me. I felt him a few feet behind me, offering the support I needed, but giving me space as well. As for me, I sat cross-legged in front of Russell.

"Are you well, dear?" he asked and I immediately lowered my shields.

"Better, thank you," I replied a little stiffly. Something was wrong and I knew exactly what that was. I could not get a read on Russell. Nothing. Not a beep; not a word. Zilch. My eyes must have widened, because he chuckled wryly.

"I have asked you to trust me, Sookie," he said simply, slight disappointment in his voice.

"I do."

"No, you don't. Otherwise you'd have come out and told me all about this ability of yours. Furthermore, you wouldn't be trying to read my mind, Sookie".

I heard Pam gasping and Eric was by my side in an instant.

"Try anything, Russell and I swear you'll lose your head," Eric threatened, the menace in his voice hard to ignore.

Despite Eric's posture and his demeanor, king Edgington remained unmoved, simply raising his arms as in surrender.

"Northman, there is no need for this. I have told you that I mean no harm. I may not have told you everything I know and why I am able to help Sookie, but trust me when I say that I would never hurt any of you, unless provoked. In time, you will know everything, but until then, I shall tell you only what I can. Please accept this," he said.

Eric stared him down for a few seconds before finally nodding his head and returning to his spot.

I had been silent until then, but my eyes narrowed as I looked at Russell.

"Fine. Yes. As you know, my telepathy has crossed over. I can now hear humans, weres and vampires just as clearly. While I couldn't hear daemons before, I have a suspicion that I will now. Over years I've built a sort of shield, trying to maintain my sanity. Well, now, these are stronger and I can switch them on and off to my liking. We decided not to tell anyone because of the reaction it would cause and the troubles it would bring."

He smiled and nodded. "Fair enough. Thank you for telling me," he said politely. "Now, shall we continue?"

"Aren't you going to tell me anything? How are you even blocking me?" I asked, my temper rising.

Russell's eyes cut to Eric and I immediately felt myself calming down.

"As I said, I will tell you everything I can, when I can. Now is not the time. Let's begin, shall we?" the king said with a smile.

I sighed but figured I couldn't get any more from him for now.

"Good. Now, close your eyes again and focus on that spot you found yesterday night," Russell instructed as he took my hands. I felt his thumbs rubbing over my wrists in an effort to relax me as I closed my eyes.

I felt the need to breathe. I inhaled and exhaled, each breath taking me deeper inside myself, closer to the center of my energy. A few minutes must have passed as I approached the core and tried picturing it as something material, as he'd instructed the previous day.

"I'm there," I barely whispered.

"Perfect, Sookie, perfect. Now try to control it. Let it build up inside you, let it lift to the surface of your skin and keep it there. Slowly," he said.

I did as he instructed, picturing a balloon that I inflated little by little. I knew it was working as I heard small gasps behind me. My skin felt warm. This entire process was taking a toll on me and it was becoming harder and harder to contain the bubble.

"That's it, Sookie. Don't let go of it," Russell encouraged me, but it was too late.

The instant I felt I was losing control of the "balloon" I started panicking, scared of the damage this energy would cause if it bubbled over. The last thing to go through my mind before I saw a bright light was Eric's name.

A few minutes later, or days, I did not know, I came to myself. Worried faces surrounded me as Eric's voice kept calling my name.

"I'm ok," I mumbled, feeling my throat dry and aching. I rose from the floor and looked around me. Nothing seemed changed. Eric gathered me in his arms and held on tight.

"What happened?" I asked.

"You lost control over your energy. It exploded in the room."

"Oh God! Are you all ok?!" I asked, trying to detach myself from Eric's embrace so I could look at everyone for wounds.

"Yes, Sookie. We're all OK. It kind of went through us all and gave us an energy boost," Eric said, somewhat relived I wasn't hurt.

"How long was I out, then?"

"A few minutes".

"Sookie, I must ask: what did you think of last, before you lost control?"

"I thought of Eric".

Russell merely nodded as if his suspicion had been confirmed.

"I'm... My throat is dry. I need some blood," I said, feeling unsure of my conclusion.

"Yes, yes. Northman, take her to the donors lounge and have her drink. She needs her energy," Russell said hurriedly. As an afterthought, he added "Maybe you should postpone the sword training for tomorrow, yes? Good then."

With that he turned on his heels and was out of the room before any of us could say anything else. I tried scanning for his brain, but met the same wall I had earlier.

Saying goodnight to Pam and Jason, Eric took me downstairs to pick another human. I had hoped the girl from the night before would be here, but I guess she still needed to replenish what I had taken. Letting my shields down once more, I scanned the room. Just being there nearly sent me into a frenzy, so I tried not to breathe and to calm myself so I wouldn't hurt anyone.

I picked a male this time, much to Eric's displeasure. He let out a low growl from behind me and, despite my state, I nearly chuckled. Sure, Ramon was hot; his skin was tanned and his dark hair made him look mysterious. Not to mention his chiseled body. His green eyes sparkled as I summoned him, but it wasn't because of me, but because of Eric. From his thoughts I could gather that my Viking had made an impression on him when we were here last, few years prior.

Eric guided me to the room we'd used the night before and Ramon followed closely. As the door closed behind us, his eyes were glued to Eric and I let out a giggle as I saw the romantic scene playing through his mind. And to think my dear husband was jealous.

"My _**wife**_ here has just been brought over and she is still learning how to feed. She will try to be gentle, but as I said, she's still learning. I will not let any harm come to you. Do you agree or shall we seek another?" Eric's voice was stern. He still wasn't getting it. He was so caught up in playing Alpha male that he was completely disregarding the fact that Ramon hadn't taken his eyes off him.

"Oh God, honey. Let the boy alone. He's only got eyes for one vampire in this room and it's not me," I chuckled. Eric's eyes shifted to me and I could see it dawn on him. He smirked and relaxed his stance. Ego, much?

"Hey, Romeo, can I get your attention?" I told the boy in front of me.

"It's Ramon," he replied, causing my laughter to bubble over again.

"Are you ok with what _**my husband **_said? I will try not to hurt you," I promised, despite the fact that I felt on edge. My throat was aching.

"Yes, of course. I trust you," he said, finally looking at me.

Eric came by my side, pressing a kiss to my temple.

"Remember, Lover. Just like yesterday. Keep track of his pulse."

I embraced Ramon, finding it easy to reach his throat as I lifted myself on my toes. Slowly I licked a trail from the base of his neck to his ear, bathing his carotid with my tongue. I felt his breath hitch and I knew it was effective. The drumming of this pulse had me hypnotized and I couldn't resist anymore. I let my fangs out and the last thing I did with any patience was sink them into his skin. His blood flooded my mouth and i latched on, desperate not to waste anything. Oh God. I couldn't stop. I didn't want to stop. I heard the drumming sound falter as I took mouthful after mouthful of this nectar.

"Sookie, Stop!" Eric commanded with a stern tone. Immediately, I let go of Ramon and took a step back. As I looked at him, I saw him sway a bit on his feet. I'd taken too much and instantly, I felt horrible. Eric took over and pricked his finger on his fang, dubbing the blood over the boy's wounds.

Eric ushered him out the door and returned to me. He gathered my body against his. There was no lust like it had been the night before.

"I'm sorry I commanded you," he whispered against my hair.

"No. Don't be. I'd have killed him if you didn't stop me." I trembled in his arms thinking of that alternative ending to his story.

"You know, you're doing great. We need to make sure you feed more often from now on so you don't feel the need to gorge yourself. None of Pam's meals lived another day in her first few months. We didn't have donors back then, so we had to do with random people in dark alleys."

I felt a bit better knowing that no one had it easy when they were newborn vamps. However, my mind kept going to Ramon. I swore to myself to gather more control from now on. I would not kill innocent people.

As we made our way back to our room, we passed Russell's office.

"Can you go ahead? I want to have a word with him. I'll be right there," I asked Eric, my eyes pleading with him to accept this.

He stared at me for a moment before nodding and resuming his walk.

I knocked slightly on the door and the king asked me to come in.

"How may I help you, Sookie?" he asked, rising to his feet as I took my seat. He sat down again and leaned back in his chair.

"I'm sorry for yesterday. I'm trying to rein this anger in, but I'm not always succeeding."

"It's understandable dear. You are only days old. I was killing for fun when I was your age," he admitted and I must have looked shocked. "Yes. I'm appalled myself. But those were different times. There was a war when I was brought over and my Maker had little love for humans. We preyed on the men we found on the battlefield. Alas, that time is long gone."

"I want to hear more about your life, Russell, if you'd share it with me. I've always found history exciting and hearing some of your stories would be nice."

"Of course, my dear. Anytime," he agreed with a smile. "You never cease to surprise me, Sookie. For a very long time, after your last visit here, I did not know how I felt about you. You managed to save my friend, but you also deceived me by saving Compton. We didn't know until spring what had happened to Lorena, you know? Until we uncovered the pool."

I snickered. I couldn't help it. "I'm sorry. But I saw no other way at the time."

Russell's eyes sparkled as he smiled at me. "I would not cross your path, dear Mrs. Northman. You are like a lioness when you protect those you care for."

I snorted. "Maybe. But don't tell me you're scared of me, Russell, as I won't believe it." Really... Me? Hah.

He leaned forward, his hands on the desk in front of him, as he studied me.

"Yes, Sookie. You," he said softly. "I know why you came here tonight. I know what you want to ask, but I cannot tell you yet why it is you cannot read my mind and why I know the things I do. Not yet. I am putting together the puzzle pieces and I can't tell you everything ahead of time. If I'm right, it's not going to be long before that moment is here, but alas, we are not there yet.

"However," he carried on, "I can tell you something. For a long time I suspected there was something more to you. After you bled all over my comforter I simply assumed you had some fae in your woodpile. Eric confirmed that to me when he called to ask for help in caring for you. He said that you are Brigant's granddaughter; a fairy princess".

"Yes, that is true."

"No. It's not," he said. "Sookie, you are not related to Niall".

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><p>*don't hate me. I'll update soon, I promise!<p>

If you're still reading this, please let me know your thoughts. I have so many ideas for how this story should play out that I'm all hyped up. I just hope you like it.

Reviews are love!

xoxo

Gaby


	11. Twists and Turns

Hi!

I promised I'd update soon and here is the new chappy. I didn't want to post this until the next one was done, but I didn't have time to write this weekend and didn't want to keep you waiting. Hopefully, the next one will be done soon, as well.

I want to thank everyone who read and reviewed the last chapter. You are all amazing! I've sent replies to some of you since I didn't have time to reply to all of you, plus there were some "guest" readers as well. Man... I have no words for how much your reviews mean to me. I hope you'll all love the story!

I posted a question on my wordpress account - does anyone want ebooks of Eternal Night, Songs of Our Lives and the one shots? Is anyone interested in that? Go over there and leave me a message so I can manage the replies more easily.

I talk too much! here's the chapter:

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><p>Excuse me? I was not... But... I was stunned to say the least.<p>

Russell must have figured out that all those confusing thoughts were going through my head, or maybe he was clued in by the fact that my mouth was hanging open.

"Yes. I do not think you are related to Niall, Sookie. Now, until I gather more proof that I am right, I can't get into specifics and for that I am sorry. But, you need to understand that in the many years since I was changed, I've met a lot of creatures and learned a lot of information about every supernatural race that walks this planet."

"Eric must have had his suspicions at first as well, but he doesn't know Niall as I do. You must understand that I didn't know from the start that you were fae, much less of your connection with Brigants. However, once Eric told me about you, bells started ringing for me. Sookie, the Brigant family is royalty among the fae; they do not breed with humans. They want to keep themselves pure. There's no if's, and's, or but's about this issue. Niall himself was adamant about this and I doubt he'd change his mind after more than a millennia of living like that.

"His father, the Prince before him, had the same mindset and they made sure to ingrain that kind of thinking into their children. That is why I really don't believe it would be possible for their blood to run through your veins."

When he was done he kept looking at me, waiting for my reaction. And I had no idea what to say. I had to mull this over. My head was spinning. Goddamnit all to hell. Why would he lie to me?

Russell gained nothing by telling me I wasn't Niall's granddaughter, but what did the Prince gain by lying to me? And that's exactly what I finally asked.

"Why lie?"

"Well, I'm going to assume that they want you on their side. If you were ever to enter a conflict between, let's say vampires and the fae, you'd be compelled to fight on your family's side."

"But how could I be of any use?" I asked, since that was still unclear to me.

"I'm sorry little one, but that I do not know yet. However, if my assumptions are correct, you are a very powerful supernatural. I need a few more days to figure out exactly to what extent your powers can evolve and to know if I'm right or not. When I find out what you can do, I'm going to tell you all that I suspect".

I nodded; frustrated that he wasn't just saying what the fuck he wanted to. It seemed important and I hated being kept out of the loop, especially since I was directly involved.

"Dermot looks just like Jason, though", I pointed out as an afterthought.

"Dermot?"

"Niall's son; the one who's supposed to be my great uncle".

"It might be a kind of glamour that some faeries possess, enabling them to appear different. If that's the case, considering how powerful Niall is, I think that it might be his spell."

But it still didn't make sense. "So does that mean that I'm not fae? If that's the case, what about my sweet smell and my blood and all that crap?" I asked.

"Sookie, it doesn't mean that you're not fae, it just means that you're not connected to the royal lineage since I have no doubt in mind that no Brigant has ever mated with a Human. It's either this, or Niall used a spell to mask your true nature.

"Since faeries attract vampires, I think he suspected you'd shy away from fangs rather than run into their arms. Of course, your telepathy didn't exactly aid his plans since you could only find some peace and quiet near the voids our minds represent."

It made sense to me. While I had no idea about the glamour thing, I knew for a fact that Niall could mask his scent when vampires were around. So if he could do that, why not the reverse of it, on someone else?

"So you're basically saying that Niall could have put this spell on me to make me smell sweet, knowing that it might be quite dangerous for me," I asked, my fangs running out in anger.

"In a nutshell, yes. But, Sookie, keep in mind that there is also another alternative that you should think about before putting a plan together to liberate Niall of the added weight of his head for making you smell like vampire bait: you might still actually be fae; just not from his direct lineage."

"So how do we figure out if I am? Was?" I let out a long sign and leaned forward, putting my face in my hands, closing my eyes and trying to clear my head. I had so many questions.

Russell's hand rested on my shoulder in a comforting gesture.

"I need a few more days to see how your powers evolve. Don't stress over it. For now you are here and you are safe."

"Would Jason's blood give us any hints?"

"I wish I could say it did, but I doubt it. He's a were now. Also, if he put a spell on you, he could have put one on Jason too. Thus, any lingering sweetness might be an effect of that. Similarly to what I told you earlier, if he were to hate vampires, he would certainly express that in front of you. Since he is your kind, you'd at least take his opinion into consideration even if you said it didn't matter. That's how families work."

"So you think it's only going to be a few more days, right?"

"That is what I hope, yes. I cannot guarantee it, but that is what I think. You should join your Viking, Sookie. It is nearly dawn."

I stood up as if I was electrified. How long had it passed? I wished him a good rest and zipped to our room. Eric's arms enveloped me immediately.

"I've sensed your distress, but I could tell you weren't in danger. What happened, Lover?" he asked, slowly taking my clothes off and carrying me to the bathroom.

I told him everything that had passed between Russell and me that night. He kept quiet and worked in lathering me up with body soaps and washing my hair gently, trying to make me relax.

"He is right. I did feel suspicious of Niall in the beginning. I still do. Even without everything that Russell told you, I still wouldn't trust the Prince completely. As much as you are lovely, my dear, faeries are vile as you found out on your own," he said with sorrow in his voice, caressing the areas where my wounds had been. "They are vicious and deceptive. I don't trust any of them."

"So why did you accept Niall?"

"Because of you, Sookie. I thought then that if you truly are of the fae, then having Niall on your side wasn't a bad idea. He was your only relative apart from Jason. Since your grandmother had died, there was no one else for you. It happened when we were apart and although I didn't know why, I felt compelled to make sure you were protected."

"I love you, Eric," I declared, pulling him in my arms.

Our kisses got heated and before I knew it he had me pushed against the cold tiles. My body felt hot and the contrast made me hiss. He captured my lips once more and pressed his hard member against me. I moaned loudly as he entered me and pressed my fingers into his back, pulling him closer.

It was passionate and loving, but we were both racing towards the end. No detours; no prolonging the moment. Dawn was coming soon.

"Fuck," I shouted as my orgasm washed over me, making my skin tingle from head to toes.

His grunts accompanied mine as he reached his own climax.

Silently, he took me in his arms and levitated us towards the bed. I was barely fighting the pull of the sun. I managed to snuggle into his side before the darkness won the battle.

•0~*~*~*~*~*~•0•~*~*~*~*~*~0••0~*~*~*~*~*~•0•~*~*~*~*~*~0••0~*~*~*~*~*~•0•~*~*~*~*~*~0•

The following night, I rose to find Eric's blue gaze looking down on me. He smiled and softly pressed his lips to mine.

Mmm, I was purring like a kitty cat. Nothing beat waking up next to Eric. Ever.

When we finally pulled apart, we agreed to get dressed or we wouldn't be leaving the quarters at all.

I had a pair of dark yoga pants and a tank top on. If we were going to play with swords, I wanted to feel comfortable in the clothes I wore.

I was in front of the mirror, pulling back my hair into a pony tail when it happened. I didn't pass out, but it was like I was watching TV. The mirror surface seemed to ripple before giving room to the image of a field. I could see Niall there. He seemed afraid of something. His chin wasn't as high as it once used to be and his posture showed deference, not superiority, like he usually carried himself.

There were bodies all over the field. Some, I could see, were faeries. The ashy areas were vampires, I presumed.

The scene was bathed in a warm light and I had no idea where that was coming from. Before the image slipped away I saw a winged figure looking down at Niall.

"Sookie, what is it?" Eric asked, looking at our reflection in the mirror, his expression worried.

"I had another vision."

"You didn't lose consciousness this time. I felt you were dimming in the bond, but you didn't disappear like before. That is a good sign, I think. "

"Let's hope so. Come, we must see Russell. I don't want to go over this again."

We found the king in his study.

"I thought we were supposed to meet in the yard," he remarked with a smile.

"I had another vision," I said and, as expected, that got his attention.

I went over all the details and they both listened intently.

"Could it be just my mind playing tricks since I was thinking of Niall so much last night?"

"Impossible. It was a vision, that's for sure. I expect you'll find them easier to handle as time goes by," said Russell. "Now tell me about this winged figure. What did you see of it?"

"Not much. It was in a sort of shadow because of the angle of my view. But it didn't feel like it was evil or anything, because there was this muted light on the field and I think it was coming from this… thing. It felt good. Do you know what it could be?"

"I have a few theories, yes," Russell said vaguely, but didn't elaborate.

"It is important that you include your feelings and impressions throughout the visions, Sookie. You did well to tell us. I'm sure it is of great importance. We just need to figure out why," Eric piped in.

"I'm going to place a call to the Pythoness closer to dawn," Russell said, effectively closing the chapter. It wasn't like there was a higher authority regarding this type of visions than the Oracle.

We made our way outside. A large number of weres were present and they seemed to be anxious. Pam joined us soon after and I could hear Jason's heart thrumming as he made his way towards us.

"Your Majesty, I was wondering if it'd be ok to run with the pack here," he said as he made his way to us.

"It's Russell. And yes, I'm sure it would be fine. Everyone here is waiting for the sky to clear. I'm sure it won't be long."

"Thanks man, that's really cool."

I rolled my eyes. How could he go from showing deference to talking like that in 0.2 seconds? Seriously!?

Eric, Pam, Russell and I made our way to a small space delineated by large, round rocks placed in a circle that was just around the corner of the mansion. A table nearby held an entire arsenal of swords.

"What about Jason?" I asked.

"It's not like there is anything he can do for the next few nights. He'll train when he's done being a were," Pam said with a smile.

"I guess. So, Pam… what have you been up to these past few days?" I asked, knowing damn well and good what she'd been doing. While I didn't bother lowering my shields, I could smell her all over Jason. I could see Eric smirking and his amusement was evident in his bright blue eyes.

Pam smirked and let her fangs down, waggling her eyebrows.

"Eww, Pam. Really? He's my brother. I keep out of his mind for a reason. Now you're not gonna be safe to be around either."

She shrugged and stepped closer to the table, perusing the swords put on display.

Eric turned towards me with a beautifully crafted blade in his hands.

"Lover, this is a scimitar. It's a sabre with a curved blade originated in the Middle East. I think this should fit you best, but you are to try others as well." He seemed really excited about this. I knew he was great with a sword, especially since I'd seen him fight with one in hand before. He was also hot as hell.

I had just taken the blade in hand, bent on giving this my best try, when there was a chorus of ripping sounds. I looked up and saw that the moon had come out of its hiding place. It was beautiful and its eerie glow bathed the entire yard.

The weres. They were changing.

Soon, from around the corner, huge wolves made their way towards the woods. There was no hurry in their pace. They looked towards us and then continued on their way.

A sudden excitement built inside me. I was going to see Jason in his panther form for the first time. I knew how he looked like from his memories, but this was different.

Wolf after wolf strolled through the yard until, finally, Jason made an appearance as well. Unlike the others, he took a few steps towards us and stopped.

I gasped. That was no mangy mutt with missing patches of fur and a deformed back. The panther in front of us had a full coat of black, shiny fur. He looked just as lean and deadly as the creatures on the animal shows on TV.

**_He was just like in my vision._**

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><p>Yep. It's a cliffy and it's not a cliffy... don't hate me. I like the drama.<p>

Reviews are love! What do you all think so far?

xoxo

Gaby


	12. I'll Be Your Teacher

**Hi!**

As promise, here's an update! I hope you all like it. Oh, it's NOT safe for work, so you might want to mind that bit of info.. mmm.. I want to thank Karen (InvertedMeridian) who went through the trouble of being my beta for this chappy. It would be a mess without her!

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><p><strong>EPOV<strong>

After a thousand years spent on this planet, the only joys I had were my children. Until I turned Pam, I had been so lonely. I didn't know it at the time, but as the years passed, it became more evident; the difference between the before and after periods.

I'd never experienced an urge like the one I felt when I saw her that night. She was sneaking around behind her parents to meet her lover, a man they didn't approve of. Disregarding society's rules and doing what she wanted, not what she was told, was what caught my attention.

The pull… the instinct to bring her over was overwhelming as I stalked her through the night. I had never felt like that before and it took a while for me to figure out what it was.

But, that night when Sookie walked into my bar with Bill Compton, I knew exactly what was going on. On top of a Maker's pull, I also felt more… more than I ever wanted to understand at that point. Living a millennia without loving anyone had taken a toll on me and I didn't want to think too strongly about this warm feeling overtaking me.

She was my mate, but I didn't figure that out until much later. I was completely gone by then, though, so it simply felt like all the pieces fell into place.

While my life had definitely become more interesting since I met her, my worries had also grown exponentially. I worried about her well-being, about her safety and well, about everything that was connected to Sookie.

Even now that she became my child, now that she was vampire, those worries didn't lessen. These powers that she was supposed to have, that she had to master, were unlike anything I've ever seen. Sure, I'd met the Pythoness, but my contacts with her were limited and I didn't have much insight on how her powers worked; all I knew were speculations and rumors.

And this light of hers… this power that Russell wanted her to train… I had never seen something like that before. To go a thousand years without ever meeting a creature like her said a lot about the entire situation. But then again, I'd also never met a telepath before her.

Everything about her was unique and I had the feeling that she would turn out to be more than my childe, my lover and my wife. She would be a fitting match not only for the vampire in me, but for the man as well - for the Viking that took joy from sword fights. She was going to be astonishing and I couldn't help but feel so much pride towards her.

The past few nights had been quite busy for us with all the training, but they were mostly emotionally exhausting for her, and therefore for me too, since our bond was so strong now.

This anticipation was killing her. She didn't know what she could do, to what extent her powers could grow and she was obviously worried about them. It was only natural, I guess. I was too. But for some reason, I trusted Russell.

The last time I had been in his home, I had played a role for Sookie's sake and for that of the other vampires in the compound who didn't need to know what was going on. Using the name "Leif" wasn't accidental, but a code.

Despite the fact that everyone assumed I hadn't known Russell, that wasn't exactly true. We had known each other for close to 800 years, since we were both in Europe. I met him after Appius released me and he was a big part of my evolution as a vampire. He taught me a lot of things and for that I was grateful.

Centuries ago, when we made our way into America, we both agreed not to say anything about our connection since most would feel threatened by two vampires that neared a thousand years and that actually got along well.

So when I walked into his compound that night and dubbed myself "Leif", he simply nodded and pretended he didn't know me. That was the name we agreed we'd both use if we met and we needed to pretend to be strangers around each other.

After the many years he had lived through, Russell was bored out of his mind. So our little play of characters had him intrigued and I'm sure he watched the entire situation as one would watch a theater play.

He saw my concern for the wounded Sookie in my arms and I knew it took a lot for him to not come and comfort me. He knew that I loved her before I did.

So now, despite my jealous and protective streak, I trusted Russell. I know it ate Sookie up to be left in the dark about something as important as her true genealogy and nature, but I also knew that Russell wasn't one to speak before he was ready.

So with that knowledge I tried to bide my time until all was revealed. Of course, my mind was full of contingency plans, of ways to protect Sookie.

I had yet to get a good idea about her powers, but I was hell-bent on teaching her how to protect herself, regardless of any abilities she might develop. Thus, sword training and hand-to-hand combat were my current concerns.

As we sat in the garden, waiting to start our session, I watched the weres slowly making their way to the woods. I had seen Jason briefly before, in his panther form, although I didn't know it was him at the time. I figured it out when Sookie described him from the readings she got on his mind, but I was fairly certain that I was right.

So when instead of the mangy-looking panther stood a fierce animal I was stuck. I had no idea how that happened or why Jason had turned into a full panther, when he was only bitten and not born into it.

"Didn't you say…" I asked, trying to make sure I wasn't simply mixing things up.

"I did, yes. I'm sure of it," Sookie breathed out. "Absolutely positive".

I chanced a glance at the King who was now staring at Jason as well. Wheels were spinning for him and I could see him starting to make sense of what was happening.

"I must go. Enjoy your evening," he said abruptly, as he made his way towards the mansion.

"Jason is confused. I can't get much of a read on him right now, but I can sense that," she said. "Go on, Jase, we'll figure it out," she yelled at him.

The panther seemed to nod once before following the others into the night.

"Well, well, well," Pam smirked, licking her lips. "I knew he was an animal in bed".

That snapped Sookie from her shock. "Pam, really. Eww."

"What? I was just stating the obvious," she smirked.

"Of course you were."

Sookie sighed and rubber her face with her hands. She was frustrated by it all and scared of what everything meant, I'm sure.

If Jason was now a full panther, regardless of what triggered this change, it meant that her visions would come true. That led to the other vision she had, about being kidnapped. My fury spiked at the thought. I didn't know how I could prevent it, but I wasn't going to let anything happen to her. Ever.

Sookie walked into my body, the sword still in her hand. I embraced her and moved my hand over her back.

"We'll figure something out."

"I know," she replied into my shirt.

A few minutes later she drew back and sighed.

"Shall we start?"

And with that, Pam and I started training her in swords play. We taught her to defend herself, to attack and to predict the steps of her potential enemies.

Although her stance left something to be desired, she was getting pretty good. I had taught Pam the same things after I turned her, just as Appius had taught me. I didn't want to think of them being unprotected in any situation, so I was adamant on making sure my children knew how to fight.

Sookie and Pam danced in a circle, swords in hand, practicing the moves I showed them. I knew it would do Pam some good too, as it had been a while since she needed to yield a sword. Sookie lunged forward, almost scraping her opponent's arm, but Pam parried in time.

"Watch your blade Sookie. Wouldn't want to ruin a perfectly good blouse, now do we?"

"Well, you didn't have to wear a silk shirt," my mate taunted and I tried to avoid my amusement in the bond.

I knew I didn't succeed when they both turned to look at me at the same time. I simply smirked and made a sign for them to carry on.

For the next couple of hours we traded places, attacking and defending ourselves. Sookie also tried a few more blades, but as I expected, she enjoyed the scimitar the most as it gave her an ample range. She made a point to mention that the shape suited her since she always liked to twirl. Just because that simply applied to dancing before, didn't mean it couldn't transfer into her fighting technique.

I made a mental note to go over that particular motion with her in the next nights. For now, she needed to feed.

The three of us walked back to the mansion and Pam took her leave, heading straight for her chambers. I was fairly certain she'd be waiting for Jason's return, but I wasn't going to make a comment about it. Her affairs and escapades were her own and I never got myself involved in the middle of it; no matter if she was into men or women for a particular week. And I wasn't going to get involved now either.

Jason was a charmer and with his girlfriend dead, I was sure he was in mourning. I gave it a couple of months until he and Pam got bored of each other. She was his rebound, he was her flavor of the week.

Sookie and I headed for the donor's lounge and all eyes were on us the second we walked in.

She motioned for a beautiful brunette to join us. "One more," I breathed out. She looked up in confusion, but motioned for a red headed male.

The four of us stepped inside the private quarters and I instructed Sookie to take a seat on the couch. She did as I asked and took the hand of the brunette, guiding her to the same place.

"Tonight I think you need to learn how to feed on another important spot, Sookie: the wrist. The blood flow is less than in the carotid or femoral arteries, so you need to suck a little harder."

"Will you join me?" she asked, her eyes hooded. My lust spiked instantly at the thought of sharing a donor with my lover so I simply nodded.

I sat on the couch and had the donor take a seat between us. She extended her arms to the both of us and smiled in complete confidence.

"Mind her heartbeat," I instructed again, before tending on her wrist.

With both of us working on her wrists, the donor's temperature started to rise slightly with her arousal. I glanced at my Lover and found her watching me. We both struck at the same time and the woman moaned in pleasure.

We fed a few mouthfuls each before we released her. Since Sookie hadn't needed my aid this time, I sent her pride in the bond. She was learning to tame her impulses much faster than I had hoped. However, I was losing control over mine as my desire to have her grew with each sucking sound she made.

We motioned for the man to replace the brunette, who was now waiting by the door, a dazed look on her face.

We repeated the process and again, after a few drags, we let the man walk away. As soon as they were out the door, I was on top of Sookie.

While I may not have bothered with such proprieties, I knew Sookie was still sensitive to this type of thing. Her response was immediate and our desire bounced between us in the bond as I kissed her. She moved on the couch, laying her body under mind.

Her legs wrapped around my waist and I ground myself into her, making her gasp in pleasure.

My hands went to her tank-top and I ripped it open in the front, displaying her beautiful breasts encased in a silk bra. I licked her mounds as she squirmed underneath me, grinding her pussy on my aching cock. Her hands pressed me into her tits and I didn't waste time in sucking on her hard nipples.

She moaned and moved her hands to my shirt, pealing it off me. Our skin met and I felt every nerve ending on my body come alive.

I groaned and pressed myself into her more fully. She arched her back, pushing her chest into my mouth.

I couldn't take it anymore. I grabbed her and lifted myself in a sitting position and placed her on my lap. Her hips immediately ground to my hard length and my eyes rolled into the back of my head. What this woman could do to me…

Her hand snaked between us and into the waistband of my slacks, gripping my cock into her fist as she kissed my neck. Her fangs dragged across my skin and I shivered in anticipation. The bite didn't come but she ripped the button of my pants and lowered the zipper to have better access.

My hands went to her ass and I pushed her pants down her hips, enjoying the feel of her skin in my palms. She moaned and moved to kiss my lips.

I ripped off her yoga pants without regrets. Her ass had taunted me all night. Sookie gasped but didn't waste time before placing me in the right spot and slowly sliding down my length.

She started grinding against me over and over. Our foreheads were joined and we were both watching as my cock disappeared into her dripping-wet pussy over and over again. I growled and my hands found her ass again, guiding her along my length.

Sookie's head lolled back as she sped up her movements. I moved my hand between us, wetting my fingers with her juices before rubbing her sensitive clit. Her muscles twitched immediately and her moans got louder, as her thrusts became erratic.

I leaned forward and captured her tit in my mouth, letting my fangs pierce the skin. The first drag I took brought her over the edge, screaming my name.

I released her breast and brought her face to mine, kissing her deeply as she came down from her high.

"Fuck, Eric", she breathed.

"Yes, Sookie. You like how I fuck you, pretty girl?" I asked, knowing how she liked it when I talked dirty to her. Her pussy twitched again in reply and I quickly moved us around, placing her on her knees on the couch. Her hands rested on the back of the seat and her ass popped up as she positioned herself.

I entered her in one quick thrust and we both moaned at the sensation. I thrust in and out of her, moving my hands all over the skin of her back, eliciting goose bumps and small shivers. I moved to her tits, never relenting in my fast thrusts. I pinched her nipples and she came again, tightening around my cock.

"You are mine, Sookie. Mine and only mine," I groaned as I leaned over her.

"Yes," she mewled, trembling.

With one hand still kneading on her tits and the other lowering to play with her clit, I kept thrusting into her.

"Oh God!" Sookie screamed as she gave herself over to another orgasm. I closed my eyes and let myself go as well, as her walls contracted around me.

We panted for breaths that we did not need. We slumped down on the couch, kissing like two horny teenagers. I wanted her once more, but dawn was approaching and I wanted to be in the safety of our chambers. She quickly dressed in my shirt since her clothes were in pieces on the floor.

"Coming?" she asked, peeking over her shoulder as she went towards the door.

I growled and sped after her, racing towards our room.

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><p>Reviews are love! Let me know what you think!<p>

If you subscribe to my blog **(gabrielleblue dot wordpress dot com)** you'll be able to get the next chappy earlier. Depending on how many of you will visit me there I'll post it a day or two earlier than I will here. I'm really trying to get you all to move there cause with the amounts of lemons I write, they'll probably nix my profile one day or another.

Anyway, **BIG** revelations are coming in chapter 13, so watch out for it this week. Just saying. hehe

xoxo

Gaby


	13. Secrets

****Hi! As promised, here is the chapter. I really hope you can take the time to leave me a review since I'm nervous about this chapter.

From now on I'll be posting the chapters a day early on my blog so I hope to see as many of you there.

Big thanks go to **InvertedMeridiam** and **BelleViolette** who have helped out with this chappy.

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><p><strong>Chapter 13: Secrets<strong>

**SPOV**

The days went by and soon we passed the one-week mark since our arrival at the Edgingtonmansion. My patience was running thin with all the training we did, all the questions I asked, and the few answers I actually received from Russell.

Despite the wait and my current animosity towards our host, I must admit that I had enjoyed our evenings together. I've had no more visions since that night, but I felt confident that I wouldn't black out again if it happened. Russell received no answer from the Pythoness, or so he said, so we had nothing more to do than wait and see what happened.

We were gathered in the yard again. While Jason and Pam practiced swordplay, now that the full moon was behind us, I was trying to learn how to control this force within me. Eric was, of course, watching us closely.

I had become more efficient at controlling the light, managing to easily keep it at skin level. Now, Russell was instructing me to picture grabbing a bit of it, making a snowball and throwing it to a tree in front of us.

I snorted audibly. I didn't think that was possible, but I had to at least try, right? It was the least I could do.

So I pictured grabbing a bit of the energy inside me, molding it into a ball and hurling it to a tree situated at the edge of the forest. I opened my eyes in time to see this thing crash into the trunk of the tree and disintegrate.

It felt like time stood still for me and everyone around me. We were all stunned, me more than the rest.

Russell was first to speak. "Wonderful, Sookie! Now try again, but picture someone you really hate instead of the tree."

I quirked an eyebrow but closed my eyes all the same. I could not believe what just happened. I shook my head and thought of the sadistic faeries that kept me prisoner so long ago. My fangs ran out in anger. I pictured the scene again and as I opened my eyes I saw the light ball hit the tree again. This time, however, it burst into flames for a few seconds. Then, the fire disappeared.

"Tell me I'm imagining things," I muttered, completely shocked.

"Did that fire just die down on its own?" Pam asked.

"Yeah. Hey, Sook, you still glowin'," Jason said and I looked down to my arms. Sure enough, my skin was alight, like it was covered with a thin sheet of warm fire.

I shrieked in panic, but Russell's voice was calm when he spoke. "It will not hurt you, Sookie. Relax. Please, one more exercise," he said with urgency in his tone.

I looked back at Eric who had a concerned look on his face. He nodded slightly and I turned back to the King, who looked like a kid on Christmas morning.

"Do the same as you did earlier, but think of someone you love, someone you have much affection for."

I did as he asked and thought of Eric before changing my mind and settling on Gran. The love I had for her was more like a quiet lake rather than the stormy river waters that resembled the passion I felt for my husband.

With her in mind, I watched the ball of energy fly towards the tree. Once it reached it, it spread up the bark and into the charred branches, making them look like new. Fresh leaves buds appeared, despite the early season.

Once again I was left speechless as the others stared at me in disbelief.

"Russell, tell me you've reached a conclusion," Eric asked, putting an arm around me as he came closer.

"I think so, yes," he said eagerly. "We must go to my office. We'll have more privacy that way," he said and we followed him. I couldn't believe I could finally find out everything there was.

When we reached his office, he went to the bookcase, pulled one of the tomes and a passage opened. We all followed him through it and entered another room. The light was dim and there was only a lamp in the middle of the table. It cast its glow on the walls around us.

"This room is sound proof, even to vampires. No one can hear us now. As I've told you, I was trying to figure out everything about Sookie and her powers.

"You must understand that I have waited centuries for this moment and I couldn't believe it was true. I had to make sure I was right, before jumping head first in this."

"And you're certain now?" Eric asked.

"I am, yes. But first, I must tell you more about the play of power going on in the supernatural world. Many centuries have passed since the last war between races, but another fight is brewing. The nature of the beast dictates that vampires want to exterminate fairies because of their blood, while fairies, in an attempt to gain power and to free themselves of the constant threat posed by the fangs, want to kill us all.

"The other races of the world have divided loyalties. While daemons usually stick with vampires, weres might tend to unite with the fairies in their hate against us. Others are too few to count in the battles that are sure to come."

"So what does this mean to us? To me?" I was getting anxious as he dragged this on.

"My dear, I was right when I said that Niall only wanted to get you on their side by deceiving you. I know this is unfortunate news for you, since you care for him in a way, but remember he is not your grandfather. Actually, you are not a fairy at all," he declared.

"What?" I gasped and I could feel Eric's hand tightening around my waist.

"I pondered over this for a while. I wondered if maybe, as I've told you before, you were of fae descent. Then, the amplification of your powers would make sense. However, ever since that night in the gym, I considered there was more about you. The fae cannot control the core of energy like you can – not even those as old as Niall."

"Russell, we've known each other for eight hundred years," Eric said and I'm sure he sensed my surprised because his hand gripped my hip for a second before letting go to signal that he'd tell me everything later. "Stop stalling and tell us what you know."

"I am. You waited this long, you can wait a few more minutes," he chastised. "As I was saying, it is unheard of for fairies to have that type of control over their energy. Also, no fairies have survived the turning process. I thought that maybe you were a fluke of nature.

"Sookie, the way you controlled your powers tonight leads me to believe you are another type of being altogether. You are a **seraph**," he said.

My jaw must have been on the floor. "I'm a WHAT?"

"An angel," Eric breathed. Somehow, I didn't think he was calling me nicknames.

Pam and Jason had fallen silent and slid into a pair of chairs.

"Explain," was all I said.

"Seraphim, or angels, as you called them, aren't God's servants or whatever else humans have made them into their silly books. They are extremely rare, only one being born each millennia, as far as I can tell. You're the first one I've met, if that serves as explanation. However, seraphim are extremely powerful, which is why each supernatural race wants them on their side. Niall must have suspected the human that was born right next to their portal was something more than that and that's why he lied. Even if he was wrong, the risks for him were slim. He wants you to fight alongside the fae in the upcoming war."

"Ok. Let's pretend that's real… how can you tell?" I asked. This was madness.

"Well, for starters, all angels have some sort of mental power. You were born a telepath. Then, they can fly. Now, I know you think this is something passed on from Eric, but I doubt that could be it, seeing how you stopped in mid-fall when you were on your way here. If it were just Eric's gift, you'd have crashed to the ground instead. That will never happen to seraphim.

"Next is the control over the energy inside you. As you noticed tonight, it can be used for destruction, but also for healing. That is unheard of, Sookie; it doesn't happen to the supernatural beings that populate the Earth now. It's something only seraphim can do. If my suspicions are correct, that night when you lost control over your power, you healed everyone in the room of something.

"For instance, your brother can now shift into a full panther. I have no idea what effect it had on Eric and Pam, but I'm sure they'll figure it out eventually," he said.

"So why didn't all these powers make themselves known before Eric turned me?"

"Because, my dear, seraphim reach maturity at about 40 years of age. Until then, only some of their powers are available to them, while the rest remain hidden. I know you are much younger than that, but vampires possess a special magic that keeps us alive. Thus, everything accelerated for you once you were turned."

I fell silent. Really, what could I say?

"How… Russell, how do you know about this? How did you know about the energy? How did you know about seraphim being born once a millennia? How do you know all this?"

He smiled a beautiful smile and for a moment I forgot I was frustrated with him.

"I know because I was born with telekinesis… I could move things with my mind. On my 40th birthday, I met my maker and he took me away from my family, my whole world. You see, Sookie, Niall wanted a seraphim on the side of the fae because he thinks he knows the truth – that vampires already have one."

My mind was having troubles catching up with everything. Russell smiled and took a step backwards. He spread his hands, but the shadow cast on the wall behind him didn't match his. Instead of his hands, I could see the shape of huge wings that were slowly becoming visible to our naked eyes as well.

"We, my dear, are the same."

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><p>Leave me some love!<p>

xoxo

Gaby


	14. Intruders

****Hi everyone! Sorry for the slight delay, but I couldn't write last week. However, I might make it up to you by posting another one this week. We'll see how it goes. For everyone who's anxious about updates, I'll be posting chapters a day early on my blog. I'd love to have you all there. I'm trying to optimize it so that everyone finds their way around it easily. I hope you'll consider subscribing cause I'd love to hear your thoughts on the entire thing.

Thank you so much for all the reviews after the last chapter. I was so nervous about the entire thing since I changed so much of CH's storyline in there. I'm just glad all of you loved it (well.. at least the ones who left me notes). I love you all so much and you're the ones that keep me writing.

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><p><strong>EPOV<strong>

I had lived a thousand years on this Earth and I had never known that Seraphim were real. I've heard legends, of course. However, many stories weren't based on facts, but were born from fear. I never once put thought into this, and the Christian notion of angels held no interest to me.

Since there were no books with real information about this subject, the only way to get information about what Sookie was from Russell.

In a way, I felt betrayed that he hadn't confided in me about his true nature, but as I watched his black wings spread in the room I knew why he hadn't. It was his most guarded secret. He kept this secret from everyone for so many centuries, searching for someone that was just like him.

And now, he found her. Sookie. I couldn't believe it. I had always known there was something special about her, something out of the ordinary, but I would have never guessed this. Despite the fact that I knew she was practically unstoppable now that she was in control of her power, I felt an indescribable desire to protect her even more, to shelter her from all the dangers in the world.

"Can I do that?" Sookie asked after a few moments of watching Russell with her mouth hanging open.

"Of course you can, dear. Try."

"But how?"

"Don't think about it too much. Just let go," he instructed, although I didn't find that any more helpful.

Sookie closed her eyes and sure enough, in the next few seconds, big wings started to shimmer into view. I heard Pam and Jason gasp from their seats and I wasn't any better myself.

She was magnificent. Unlike Russell, the feathers of her wings were white, but their span was about the same size. I was still having a difficult time wrapping my head around this new information.

"Ok. This is nuts." She was looking to her right and left at her wings and started moving them tentatively, trying to reach one to feel their texture. I took a step back to give her room and she finally managed to get them to move as she wanted them to.

"You can use them all the time, Sookie, but it is up to you when they make an appearance and when they are invisible to those around you. I can't know for certain, but I suspect it's some kind of glamour that makes them undetectable by everyone else. It's not exactly science and there's no way for me to know for sure, but that is what I suspect."

Without much notice, Sookie's wings disappeared and she smiled. So much control already.

"I have so many questions," she said.

"I'm sure you do, but unfortunately I don't have answers for many of them. I can only tell you of my own experience through the years. All you must do for now is practice so you have a better control over everything you can do."

"Do you think there's any other power that might evolve for her?" I asked. I needed to know as much as possible.

"I doubt it. She's already got her telepathy and now she can handle the power within her to heal or damage. Her visions might simply be an extension of her telepathy or a vampire gift. As I said, I can move things with my mind, but otherwise have the same powers as Sookie, minus the last one."

That was somewhat reassuring. I wanted to know to what extent her powers could evolve, as well as what else could make an appearance, so I could build a plan to protect her. I'd know how to keep her safe if I knew exactly what others might want from her.

A few minutes later we returned to our rooms, somewhat dazed after everything that was revealed.

"Stop thinking so much," she whispered as we settled in bed, her hand caressing my cheek.

"I can't. Many will want to have you on their side, regardless of your desires. They cannot have you," I said with finality.

"And they won't. I don't mean to brag, but no one can make me do what I don't want to anymore." Her voice was serene and she was pushing calm through the bond.

"You are amazing, my Lover. I am amazed at what you can do and while I can see exactly how powerful you are, I still worry. I'll always worry. There are many threats that seem to rise around us and we must be careful. I cannot lose you. Ever. Do you understand this?"

"I do. I cannot lose you either, my dear. We will face whatever comes our way together. Always together."

She leaned forward and pressed her lips to mine urgently. Until dawn pulled us under, we made each other forget about anything and everything, leaving behind the supernatural abilities and villains that wanted us hurt and returning to our roots; returning to the thing that tied us together – our love.

**Pam's POV**

A few weeks had passed since the second big revelation happened. I was still stunned about it all, but I knew Sookie and Eric were even more concerned about it all. Given her recent visions I couldn't exactly blame either of them.

However, I felt confident that if push came to shove she'd be able to manage brilliantly. She had grown much in the last few years, since she found herself in the middle of the supernatural shit storm.

While I held a grudge against her because of how she treated Eric for so long, I had always liked her. Not many have the guts to sit in front of a vampire and act the way she did. She was a breath of fresh air in our stale town.

When you live centuries, nothing surprises you anymore. And if I was bored after only three, I can't imagine how Eric felt after a thousand years. But then Sookie Stackhouse walked in the bar and boom! Everything changed. Life became exciting again, even if most of the time it was some bullshit or another happening around us.

Now as we were holed up under Russell's roof, things became even stranger for us and I found myself compelled to do whatever it took to protect her as well. The powers she yielded were astounding and I knew she was not only important to our little family, but to our race as a whole.

Her brother made for a nice distraction while we were here and he sure as fuck wasn't upset about our time spent together. I knew that he was grieving and that was ok with me. Hey! He was hot and great in the sack, so what's not to like?

I had talked to Eric and agreed to go do some research back in Shreveport, wearing a disguise in order to see exactly how our disappearance was received. Did they fall for it or were they looking for us?

Russell had gotten everything I needed and I began by putting on a dark wig. Some eye contacts and a completely different style of clothing and I was set on snooping.

Sookie had wanted to tag along, but there was no way any of us would agree to let her step into the wolf's den, especially after that first vision she had.

No. It was better this way. I could be in and out of town in no time and she would be safely hidden away until she mastered her powers.

I took one of Russell's cars and drove towards Shreveport as soon as the sun set. After a couple of hours I finally arrived in front of what once used to be Fangtasia. The place was in crumbles and there was still yellow police tape around the place. The building next door had been damaged as well, but I knew it had been empty that night, so no innocent lives were lost. This would please Sookie. I had learnt not to care that much over the years, but she was still sensitive about things.

I had read news online about the explosions and about the investigations, but nothing was written regarding the Fellowship of the Sun, so something had gone wrong down the pipeline.

I stopped by the local police station and asked about the detective that was investigating the case. I was lead to a "Detective Malcolm" and immediately caught his gaze.

"Tell me everything you know about the case. Please," I added mockingly.

Without anything further he began singing like a canary. Apparently the rumors regarding the Fellowship didn't stick because an anonymous source had indicated that maybe everything was staged. They dug deeper and found out the yahoos we put the blame on were actually somewhere else for the night, torturing a young vampire, as it turned out. They were arrested, but not for what we needed. Fuck.

I wondered who the hell the anonymous source was and if they actually had any evidence about us staging the bombing or if he or she was bluffing. It wasn't good.

After I finished with the detective, I returned to my car and went into the neighborhood where Eric's house used to be. I drove by and saw the ruins of the buildings. No police tape was hung here. It had probably been removed when everything was investigated.

I noticed movements around the house and decided to snoop around and see what the hell was going on. Was someone trying to steal whatever the fuck was still left behind, or was there something else?

I parked my car a little bit farther down the road and quickly made my way towards the building. I caught the smell of the intruder and it seemed oddly familiar – like I'd known it before but hadn't met the person in a long while. I was sure it was vampire.

I moved stealthy to the back yard where the vamp was and suddenly found myself face to face with him. Well, fuck me! Eric really should have killed this obnoxious prick a long time ago.

"Pam?" he asked.

"Compton," I replied, contempt in my voice.

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><p>Don't hate me. :D Since I'm all for "A dead Bill is a good Bill", I'm taking up suggestions regarding torturing techniques. I had some reviews on the blog saying they'd love to read that... While I won't write anything to graphic, I'm open to any ideas you girls (guys?!) might have.<p>

xoxo

Gaby


	15. Shattered

Hey hey hey! I'm sorry that the chappy is a bit on the short side, but I thought that it's better than nothing. New chapter coming soon, hopefully.

Big thanks go to Karen for cleaning up the text :D

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><p><strong>PPOV<strong>

I stared down at this fuck stain. Someone needed to knock him down a peg for being such an annoying, presumptuous prick. Whatever the fuck had Sookie seen in him was lost on me and I had to file her attraction to him in the "she was dropped on the head as a child" box.

Thank fuck she had regained her wits and decided to return to Eric and, even more, to join us as vampire.

"Now, why in the world would you be snooping about Eric's property, Compton?" I couldn't have kept the venom in my voice if Eric offered to buy me all the Louboutins in the whole wide world.

"Pamela. So you are alive after all, as I suspected. It was all a hoax."

My fangs ran and I took a step closer to him, our noses merely an inch apart. If I could, I'd probably be puking by now. Despite the fact that he struggled to keep a poker face, there was a twitch that gave away his fear.

"What this was is none of your concern," I hissed. "Now why don't you go back to your sorry little life and forget everything about this?"

"Where is Sookie? What have you done with her?"

This little prick actually thought he had any claim over her. Even after all these years. Why he was still living was one of the big mysteries of the world.

"She hasn't been your concern in a long time, Compton. You shouldn't bother yourself with my Makers bonded and pledged. It will get you killed," I threatened, poking a finger in his chest, making him take a step back.

Always ready to make an exit, I turned on my heels and zipped towards my car. I needed to get back to the compound as soon as possible. Fuck! I had played it cool when I was face to face with him, but Compton could really ruin our plans. Motherfucker!

I had Eric's number dialed by the time I put the car in gear and was on my way back. I really didn't want to discuss this entire mess all over again. I hoped he wouldn't punish me for failing in my mission. Having a showdown with that stain was not on my to-do list. Fucking moron, always ruining things for everyone else.

Suddenly, I noticed in the rearview mirror that two cars were approaching fast. I pushed the pedal to the floor and willed the car to go faster. Fucking piece of shit.

Doesn't this thing go any faster than this? Goddamnit. They were gaining on me and I knew instinctively that this wasn't just a pissy race. They were after me. I swear to any and all deities in the world that I would kill Bill for this.

The cars were coming closer on either side of mine and I swerved, trying to lose them or make them crash. A left car suddenly bumped into mine and I lurched forward with the impact.

I pushed the car to go faster, but it was too late. They had gained a few more feet and the next impact sent the car over the side of the road where it stopped face first into a thick tree.

My door was ripped open before I could make a run for it and the figure stooped down. Fucking Victor. Fucking Compton.

**EPOV**

"Did you hear from Pam," Sookie asked nervously as she entered the room. She had wanted to join my first child on her errand to Shreveport, but it was way too dangerous to let her go as well. She knew this, but still she fought me.

She had grown to care for Pam quite a bit so it was hard to convince her that she could handle herself and didn't need any company for a routine task.

However, even I felt a bit nervous about her going. I had wanted to go myself, but a tall, blond vampire will stand out like a motherfucker anywhere in public. There was nothing I could do to effectively hide my identity.

"Actually yes. She called a few minutes earlier, speaking in hushed tones. She said there was something important that she needed to tell me, but that it'd have to wait until she got back. Pam was in her car on her way back already. She should be here in a few hours," I said.

Sookie's shoulders relaxed slightly and a small smile tugged at the corners of her lips. She walked into me and wrapped her arms around me tightly.

"I'd hate for something to happen to her, you know? I care about her. A lot. And it's not just because of you, either. I know she can be a bitch, but she's my sister now and the only girlfriend I have left."

My dead heart swelled with love for her. No one had cared for Pam aside from myself in many centuries. Hearing Sookie say the things she did felt wonderful to me. But I also felt sorrowful because Sookie's friends had deserted her over the years.

"Hey, none of that. It's not your fault," she admonished after probing the bond.

"In part it is, Lover. Humans can be judgmental and you hanging out with vampires didn't aid your cause".

"As if! Hanging around vampires, dating you, loving you… those weren't the catalysts of my broken friendships, Eric. I was. My telepathy, to be exact. They couldn't stand the thought that I was able to read everything that was on their minds. They couldn't handle complete honesty and I can't say I blame them for it. Hell, I'd probably have acted the same way around someone with a power like mine."

She had raised her head, looking up into my eyes, trying to convey the fact that she didn't blame me for a minute. I gave her a little nod, but couldn't say anything else. I understood what she was saying, but it didn't make me feel any better to know it. I knew she hurt sometimes because of her lack of friends and anything that hurt her felt like a stab to my own heart.

I leaned down and pressed my lips to hers. Our mouths moved leisurely together. There was no pressure, just pure emotion. I was still astounded by how much I was able to feel ever since she came into my life. Loving someone had never been an option for me. It wasn't something I desired, not even in my human life. Marriages back then were arranged and not for love, and although I had loved my wife, I had never been in love with her. Nothing compared to what I felt for Sookie.

I had been at war with myself over these feelings for so long that now it felt liberating to be able to let everything go and simply love her. I know she had the same troubles in the past because she'd said she was scared of the intensity of it all.

We broke away from our kiss and she smiled at me, still not letting go.

"Come, Lover, lets get you a blood before we go outside to start our training for the evening," I suggested. She was amazing. In the past few weeks she had managed to exert such control over her powers, igniting trees with fire and healing them back up to their original state.

A new development, that Russell said was only thanks to practice, was the fact that she could use her hands, her touch to heal or kill. She didn't have to make a show of her powers by throwing power-balls through the air; she could shake your hand and kill you in an instant. Not that the long-distance ability had any disadvantages… In my opinion, the farther away she was from the enemy, the better.

She agreed softly, with a phrase that went straight to my cock. "Yes, Master". Gods. If we weren't in a hurry…

She went to the small fridge and pulled out a special bottle of blood and warmed it up in the microwave sitting atop of the appliance.

She put the bottle to her lips and I resumed looking through our clothes for that goddamn belt I could never find. Suddenly, I heard a shattering noise and turned to see Sookie with her eyes glazed over, the bottle shattered on the floor at her feet.

I was in front of her in a second and tried to be patient before she came back to herself. Vampires didn't drop shit. Goddamnit! What was she seeing?

She crumbled into my arms when she came back to herself. Her pain was so intense that it felt like it was mine. She wasn't hurting physically, I knew that, so it must be something about what she'd seen.

"Sookie, what is it? What did you see?"

"Call Pam. Please. Now."

I pulled out my phone and dialed her number. I probed the bond and found Pam slightly frightened by something. She never picked up and suddenly my knees went weak. Something… something had happened to Pam.

Sookie started sobbing.

"It was Pam. It wasn't me," she said as she tried to steady me.

"What?"

"My vision. It wasn't me. It was Pam. They kidnapped Pam!"

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><p>Reviews are love!<p>

*ducks and runs*


	16. Changing

Hey everyone!

I'm sorry it took so long to update, but I've been going through some personal issues. Combined with the fact that my cat died last week... I didn't feel like writing much. Once more, please start moving onto my blog. You can find it in my profile... has started to delete accounts again and I'm fairly certain that my lemons exceed the graphic level. I don't even think they give any heads up about taking down stories.

Either way, I hope you'll all enjoy the chapter. Happy reading!

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><p>I felt like my heart was being ripped out of my chest. His pain, sorrow, and regret welled up inside him and nothing he could have done would have stopped what he was feeling from coming through the bond.<p>

He had let himself fall to his knees and I was now the one holding him and trying to push comfort through the bond.

_My Pam, not my Pam. Not my child. _

That was the single train of thought going through his mind at the time. I could finally feel how much he cared for her, how deep his feelings went and I wasn't the least bit jealous. It was a weird thing to think about at the moment, but I was certain that I was ok with everything. Everyone deserved their past, and I was more than certain that he'd never cheat on me with Pam. At this point, I wasn't even sure I'd see it as cheating if something ever did happen.

His pain flared and I felt bloody tears streaming down my cheeks as I cradled his head on my belly. While it was considerably weaker, I could feel Pam so I knew she was still alive. However, I wasn't certain for how much longer.

Suddenly his feelings started to shift. His anger boiled quickly and I could feel his shoulders stiffen. Whatever he was feeling from Pam was making him furious. In the blink of an eye he was standing, his head thrown back as he let out a deafening battle cry.

He thirsted for blood. He wanted the head of whomever had a hand in whatever was happening to Pam, and I knew better than to stand in his way. Hell, I wanted a front row seat and a backstage pass myself.

Before any of us could make a move, the door to our suite flew open. Russell.

"What is it?" The worry in his voice was obvious.

"Pam. They've kidnapped Pam," Eric growled.

"But who?"

"I don't know but I fucking plan on finding out. And when I find her, they'll pay with their lives."

He was not fucking around and I knew I had to be the rational one.

"We need to go to Shreveport and see if we can get the scent of whoever was involved," he continued.

"If we go now we'll end up in the same cell as her. Plus, there's no time left in the night to go there and return here safely".

"I don't care, Russell. I want to get to Pam now," Eric growled.

"How the fuck do you think you'll be of any help if you get yourself killed or abducted as well? You need to forget for a second that she's your child and think rationally, like you would any rescue mission you've ever led," the King replied and I silently thanked him for saying what was on my mind.

Eric took a deep breath and I grabbed his palm with both hands.

"We'll find her, Eric. I swear to you. If I have to burn down the entire city, I'll do it. Anything to bring her back." And I meant it. She was my family. She was my friend. She was my sister. I'd lost too many people over the last few years and I wasn't going to lose Pam too.

Russell nodded in my direction, a sign that he was agreeing with my plan. Hell, he'll fucking burn everything down to the ground if he had to as well.

"I'm willing to bet that this was Victor's doing. If he stumbled upon her when she was investigating, then he most likely grabbed her first and didn't think it through. I'm sure he thinks that just because I settled for being a fucking Sheriff that I couldn't do more and that my reputation is inflated. If he knew what was ahead of him, he'd have thought twice before messing with Pam."

The menace in his voice would have made me cower under the table a year ago. I was his equal now. I admired everything about him.

"I wonder what Pam had wanted to say when she called earlier. I have a feeling that someone else is involved in all this shit," I piped in.

"What call?"

"Pam called earlier after she was done with the house and said that she had something to tell me as soon as she got back. She seemed in a hurry to get away so I think that it might be related to the entire situation," I told Russell.

"How long before she was kidnapped did this happen?"

"Fifteen minutes." It was Eric who replied this time.

"Russell, I need to tell you something. Before the crash happened, I had another vision. It was the same I had before where I was being locked up and every inch of my body was burning and then Eric was there. But it wasn't me. It was Pam. It had always been her, I just didn't know."

He nodded and was silent for a few seconds. "It makes sense that you'd have visions about other people. You had one about Jason that turned out to be true."

"If we're not going anywhere tonight, then we need to at least make a plan so I don't go mad," Eric said and I noticed a hint of desperation in the bond. He was trying to restrain himself and not go flying to Pam's rescue. There was a battle going inside him between the tactical warrior and the Maker who wanted to spare his child pain.

So we sat down around the table in the living room and went about making plans. We each swapped ideas back and forth trying to find the best solution. After a couple of hours spent next to Eric who was gnashing his teeth whenever Pam was being hurt, we finally had a solid plan.

We just had to go through a few more hours and a sunrise to get on with our rescue plan. We were still missing several puzzle pieces, but we had contingency plans for all situations. Pam was going to get home at this time tomorrow, no matter what.

By the time the sun was coming up, we had settled into bed, holding each other tightly. We let ourselves fall into slumber although neither of us wanted to do anything but teleport ourselves to Pam.

~~~0~~~

When I rose the following night, Eric wasn't beside me anymore. He was in the corner of the room, polishing his sword, making sure it could cut through anything.

I got out of bed quietly and made my way towards him under his watchful gaze.

He set the sword aside and stretched his hand for me, inviting me to sit on his lap. Wordlessly, I sat on his leg and wrapped my arms around his neck, bringing him close to me.

I whispered in his ear that we'd bring Pam back. I told him that everything would be fine. And I meant every word. I wasn't joking when I promised to burn down the entire state to find her.

We went ahead and dressed for the evening, with Eric's anger spiking from time to time. I grabbed my scimitar and put it in its sheath, knowing that it would claim its first blood by the end of the night.

Eric led the way to Russell's chambers and I was surprised to see Jason there as well.

"Jase, you're not going," I said as soon as I read his thoughts.

"Oh, I'm going. You can't keep me away from it, Sook. I'll walk if I have to, but I'm going."

I huffed, knowing that I couldn't change his mind. Russell came into the room and handed Jason his sword.

If the mood had been lighter I'd have joked that we all looked like ninjas. Black clothes from head to toe, swords strapped to our bodies. Once we were outside Russell grabbed Jason, while Eric held my hand as we shot to the sky.

In what felt like forever we reached the outskirts of Shreveport, to the spot where Pam's car had crashed. We had tracked her phone through GPS and knew exactly where to go.

Eric was silent, but he was fuming. The car had obviously been hit and the doors had been ripped off. While it was still new to me, Russell confirmed that there have been three vampires here, aside from my friend.

Poor Pam didn't stand a chance.

"Victor," Eric growled as he recognized his scent.

He picked me up and I wrapped my body around his as he took us to his house. I knew he needed the contact as much as I did.

As soon as we landed I could detect Pam's scent. She had been here, that much was clear.

We circled the house, following the trail until I detected yet another smell. It seemed oddly familiar but I was certain I hadn't encountered it since the change.

"Compton!" Eric growled.

I gasped. Bill was behind this? Bill?! My ex-boyfriend Bill?

I wanted to say that it couldn't be, but I knew better than that. That asshole was never going to quit, was he?

My fury matched Eric's and by the time Russell had landed with Jason, we were already flying towards Bon Temps.

I could only hope that he'd be home. That fucking asshole! It wasn't enough how much harm he'd brought to me when I was human, he had to fuck with me now, too.

Well, he had a big surprise coming his way.

We landed in the cemetery between my farmhouse and his house and waited a few seconds as I scanned the area with my mind. There was no one around but Bill. And he was thinking of me. Eww.

Surprise. Surprise.

We zipped to his front door and didn't bother knocking. We went straight in and found him with his pants down in the living room. He was jerking off. Fucking unbelievable.

"Sookie," he said as he fumbled to get his pants back on.

"Bill."

Suddenly he breathed in, certainly looking for the sunshine scent he knew should be there. His eyes widened and then his features hardened.

His ire immediately shifted towards Eric.

"You killed her!" he seethed.

"I am very much alive Bill. Now shut the fuck up," I growled at him, letting my fangs click into place.

Eric zipped in front of him, towering over Bill. For every step he took, Bill took one backwards until his knees hit the chair.

"What have you done, Bill?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," he said defensively, but I could read in his mind that he knew exactly what Eric was referring to.

"Stop lying," I said between my teeth.

"I am not lying!"

"I'll fucking rip you apart," Eric threatened and I could feel his patience running thin.

"You won't do it with Sookie here. She won't have you if you do," my ex countered.

"You'd be surprised at what Sookie finds exciting, Bill. But you're an uppity prick that wouldn't know his way to a woman's clit with a map."

I was nearly rolling my eyes. Really?! Posturing? Now?!

"Tell us where Pam is, Bill," I quipped. We needed to get back on track and the night was running short.

"I told you, I don't know where she is. I never saw her."

I stepped forward and backhanded him. "I told you to stop lying. I can read your fucking mind, you dirty pervert."

His eyes widened in surprise and I wanted to punch him again.

"I am not lying. I don't know where she is."

He was trying really hard to not think about Pam, Victor or where she was being kept. He kept thinking the same phrase over and over again, trying to keep his mind busy.

_Sookie is a vampire. Sookie is a vampire. Sookie is a vampire. _

"We don't have all night, Bill. Tell us where she is and what they've done to her or else…"

"Or else what?"

He didn't think I'd do anything to him. He really didn't think I could hurt him.

Eric's hand shot to Bill's neck and he started squeezing as he lifted him off the ground. Bill's hands shot to Eric's arms, trying to pry him off, but his strength was nothing compared to my Viking's.

A few seconds later, Eric shoved him back to the chair.

"Speak," he spat.

"Sookie, you can't let him do this," Bill pleaded with me.

He really thought I'd want to stop Eric? His actions had most certainly caused Pam a lot of pain and he was going to pay for everything.

"What my husband did is nothing compared to what I want to do to you, Bill. Start speaking or you will be sorry."

An incredulous look spread over his features. I stepped forward and Eric made more room for me. He knew I could handle this, but his protective streak didn't let him wander too far.

"I have nothing to say," he pushed.

I smiled at him and reached for my energy core. I leaned forward and placed my hand on his shoulder. Immediately, the material started sizzling and so did his skin.

He screamed in pain and I took my hand away.

"That, Bill, was just a demonstration. Tell us what we want to know and you might live." My voice was ice cold. Any humor that had been in my tone was gone and I felt the vampire in me urge me to kill the scumbag that was in front of me.

"What the hell are you?" He looked horrified. Good.

"Where is Pam, Bill?" Eric asked.

"Fuck you," he spat.

I barely looked over to his TV and threw a ball of energy towards it. It immediately burst into flames and Bill screeched.

"I am not fucking around."

"I don't know where she is. Victor did it," he said in a hurry.

"That's a lie. But it's ok Bill. We can do this all night. Just remember that for every minute Pam suffers, so will you. The difference is that they don't have the same tools at their disposal," I said and grabbed his shoulder again, healing the burnt flesh.

Bill gasped and watched in wonder at the renewed tissue.

"Now you know that I can burn you to a crisp and bring you back again. Over and over, Bill."

I could feel Eric's pride through the bond. He hadn't been sure how far I was willing to go considering this was Bill, but was thankful to see that I had no issues in making the bastard hurt.

I was beyond done with all this bullshit and I had my priorities straight. I was also aware that Bill's chances of seeing another sunset were slim.

"You bitch!" he screamed at me. The words had barely left his mouth when Eric slapped him so hard his jaw broke.

"Let's try again, shall we?"

This time he didn't need to speak. I could see it all in his mind. The phone call he made to Victor as soon as Pam left, him drive to a warehouse near a water expanse, Pam's skin being burned by silver as they questioned her.

"FUCK!" I yelled and slapped his face, making sure my palm would burn him in more ways than one. I reveled in the way he screamed.

"Sookie?"

"I know where she is. This scumbag helped question her."

Eric turned to Bill and I could see his lips turn up into a smile.

I somehow thought he'd use the sword that he was burning to yield. I should have known better. His issues with Bill went long past the current situation.

Eric's boot-covered foot was planted into Bill's chest and his hands went to Bill's head. Before ScumBill could utter another word his head was ripped off.

His body turned to ash almost instantly. Dust and blood spatters were the only things left of Bill fucking Compton.

We stepped outside where Russell and Jason had been waiting.

"Where is she," my brother asked.

"Near Cross Lake. We should find it pretty fast since she's being held in a warehouse. The building is large."

Russell nodded, grabbed Jason and shot to the sky.

"Are we ok?" Eric asked and I looked at him in surprise.

"Of course. Why wouldn't we be?"

"Because I killed Bill."

I knew I'd asked him not to kill Bill before... but that seemed like a lifetime ago. I had once loved Bill, sure, but what he did brought harm to my family. This wasn't even the first time this had happened, but it sure was the last.

"If you hadn't done it, I would have."

He stared at me for a few moments before wrapping his arms around me and shooting to the sky. We had to get Pam.

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><p>So... I know it was a bit soon, but there are other fish to fry later on and it seemed like the perfect time in my plot tree.<p>

I promise an update soon.

Reviews are love.

xoxo

Gaby


	17. Silver

Hi! It's been so long it's not even funny anymore. I'll be updating again on Saturday, so stay tuned. I should have this story wrapped up soon enough since there are not that many chapters left. I'm so sorry for letting you all hanging for so long. My muse has been a tricky bitch.

Big thanks go to InvertedMeridian for being my lovely beta for this chappy, as always. And big thanks to anyone who's still reading this... love you all and I hope you'll have a great year ahead of you.

**Silver**

Despite my arrogance and the way I usually saw myself, I sometimes couldn't believe how lucky I was to have such an amazing woman beside me. The fact that this angel had chose me felt surreal somehow.

I could feel a change inside her and I somehow felt sad that the Sookie I used to know had died when I turned her, but she seemed at ease with the person she was now even if she was only just beginning to understand who she was.

As I held her in my arms and flew towards my other child, I couldn't help but be concerned about this entire affair. Why had Niall lied to her about being of his lineage? Why was Victor so eager to get his hands on me and her both? Was he simply annoyed we had slipped out of his grip, or was there a bigger picture and more political bullshit involved?

A sudden jolt of pain brought me back to the issue at hand and I set aside the issues running through my head. Pam was now conscious and she could feel the silver burning through her skin. I could feel it, too, and I knew we were getting closer since I felt everything even more intensely through our bond.

I wish there were a way for her to transfer all her pain over to me. I was used to it. Pain and I were no strangers, and living several hundred years with Appius meant I was more than accustomed to the way silver felt on my skin.

We landed silently to the side of the building, followed closely by Russell and Jason.

There were dozens of plans thought out in advance fit for any situation we might encounter since staying busy planning and plotting was the only way to keep me in the same place for any length of time when I felt Pam's distress.

She had been with me for over three centuries and she was the person I trusted most in the world, along with Sookie. I swore to myself the night I turned her that I'd do anything to protect her and make anyone who hurt her pay.

Sookie closed her eyes, but didn't let go of my hand.

"I feel 10 vampires, 8 weres, and Pam. She's being kept somewhere underground. I don't think Victor's here, though," she said.

We all shared a glance and took our positions. My sword was in my hands in an instant and Sookie gave me a quick kiss before launching into the air along with Russell. Jason quickly shifted into a panther, which was yet another impressive sight considering that he wasn't born into this.

The guards near the door didn't even see us coming. We slashed their throats before any of them could utter a word or scream for help.

The door to the warehouse had remained open so I took it as an invitation to enter.

Crates were piled together in a pattern that could easily be considered a maze. Jason's tail brushed my leg as he passed by me and with a feline grace jumped on top of the closest one to gain a better view of the room.

His head lowered and his tail stiffened. Someone was coming.

This time it wasn't a were. It was a vampire - a vampire I had seen several times by Victor's side, especially during negotiations regarding my employment under Felipe.

Surprise registered on his face as he noticed me, but a growl soon resonated from his throat. He lunged at me, but he wasn't fast enough.

Anger was boiling in my veins as I felt my child's discomfort.

Once more I dodged his attack and as I turned on my heels, the tip of my sword pierced through his body. The surprised look on his face would have amused me in other circumstances.

I quickly pulled the sword out and with a quick swoop, his head fell to the floor and his body turned to ash.

However, his growl had alerted the other guards and as soon as I raised my eyes I noticed Jason ripping into the throat of another were.

Two vampires were rapidly approaching me, the smirks on their faces taunting.

Just then the windows in the ceiling came crashing to the floor in flames and ignited some of the nearby crates. Sookie and Russell flew through the empty spots and it was glorious.

All eyes were on them and I heard a collective gasp as they made a show of throwing fireballs across the room.

Sookie chanced a glance at me and smirked, her eyes alight with the prospect of action. She had never shied away from a fight, but now she knew she could simply enjoy the rush running through her since she was invincible.

Suddenly, it seemed we weren't the only flying vampires in the room as two more guards flew to the ceiling, hoping to take the fight up a notch.

Sookie raised her hand, palm facing forward, and they stopped midair, afraid another fireball would hurl towards them.

She tilted her head to the side and I felt it in the bond when she came to her decision.

Her wings suddenly became visible and she spread them wide, making the display that much more dramatic. Their shadow fell upon the back wall of the warehouse as fire spread through the room, going from crate to crate.

The two vampires recovered from their shock, but they didn't get any smarter. Zipping towards Sookie, they were a few feet away from her when two fiery shots went through them, both Seraphim attacking at the same time.

My attention turned back to my own opponents as I made my way to the other end of the warehouse. Jason was close behind, occasionally taking on a were that didn't even have the juice to shift.

Sookie and Russell landed beside us once we reached the door we knew would lead us to Pam. There was no one else left alive in the building.

PPOV

I saw it coming, but there was nothing I could have done to avoid it. The crash sent the car tumbling to the side of the road.

I was more pissed off than anything. Couldn't this fucker look where he was going? I fucking swore I was going to drain him dry.

Of course, that thought fled from my head as I saw who opened my door. Fucking Victor. Fucking Bill Fucking Compton!

I knew I was in deep shit and I just fucking hoped Eric would do something about it.

There were three of them and despite the fight I put up, they managed to wrap a thick chain of silver around me.

Fuck!

I sure hoped Eric was paying attention to the bond and that he wasn't balls deep inside Sookie.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?"

Victor's voice came thick as honey and I hated the sound of it. My clothes were fucking ruined and I could feel the power of the silver even if it didn't touch me directly yet.

"I thought you were dead. This is better. Where is your Master, bitch?"

The nerve of this little shit. Eric'll skin him alive. I spat at him instead of answering.

The back of his hand hit my jaw and my head whipped back. I felt a tooth dislodge and I spat it out.

"I asked a question."

"He's dead."

"Bullshit. Where is he and where is my telepath?"

I nearly raised an eyebrow. _His_ telepath?! Someone was going to have a field trip with this.

"Let me go and you may find out," I taunted. We both knew this wasn't going to happen.

Victor smirked at me, turned on his heels and told his men to bring me on. Fuckers shoved me inside the trunk of a car, silver still trapping my movements.

The fuckers must have taken the bumpiest road in existence, but it wasn't very long before we reached our destination. It was a hangar of some kind, full of crates. My eyes darted around, looking for an escape route. For the first time ever I wished I'd inherited Eric's gift for flying.

Fucking silver.

They pushed me through a door, down a flight of stairs and into an underground chamber. Scratch that. It was a fucking torture chamber. I snarled at Victor. They would all pay sooner or later.

It was too fucking late. Sookie wouldn't let Eric come here at this hour, nor would I want him to. It was too dangerous. I hoped she managed to talk some sense into him.

Victor tied me up with some chains and so the dance began. He'd ask the question, I wouldn't answer and then came the silver. FUCK! I struggled against the bindings, but to no avail. There was no getting away from this. My entire body was hurting.

And then came in the man I wanted to string up by the balls. Fucking Compton. He was acting all high and mighty now that I was tied up. He wouldn't have the courage if the playing field was even. Coward. He smiled a sickly smile at me and took Victor up on his offer to help along with the interrogation.

Let them do whatever the fuck they wanted. When Eric got here, they'd all die. To the last one of them.

I had never been happier for the coming sunrise than I was on that day. Victor and Bill went to their resting places and I was left with were guards at the door. They hadn't taken me down from the chains. Silver leafs were embedded in my skin all over my body.

When the sun rose, I drifted in and out of slumber, never quite resting fully. I tried not to move too much, but the silver burned still, knocking me out countless times.

Finally, I could feel them getting closer. I only hoped they were prepared to fight what was outside my door. I hoped Victor wouldn't ambush them in some way and that my nightmare would soon end.

I slipped out of consciousness again and woke to find that the silver leaf had nearly been etched into my skin as my body tried to heal. I screamed at the top of my lungs then. Hurry! Hurry! Hurry! The blood was trailing down my neck from my ear, evidence I had barely rested through the day.

Eric was close. So close. I'm here, I thought to him. Come save me.

Light was coming from under my door but there were no shadows. My guards had left. I knew there were many of them, both vampire and were.

Suddenly, I could hear footsteps coming down the metal stairs and moving at a hurried pace towards the dungeon. The door slammed open and I saw a man, sword in hand, long hair wild around his face.

Eric. He'd come for me.

"Move, Eric!" Sookie's voice said from behind my Master, who was effectively blocking the entire room.

I could not see his eyes, but I knew he was looking me over for damage. Then he was on his knees in front of me and I could see the pain on his face.

"Oh, Pam," he said and I could feel him pushing love through the bond.

"I'm ok," I said hoarsely as Sookie and Russell made their way into the room.

Eric quickly moved to take off the cuffs around my wrists, breaking them open and then picking off the silver chains wrapped around my body. He carefully started picking out the flailing leafs from my skin, not once hissing in pain as he removed them.

"Eric, are you not burning?"

He looked up at me with a puzzled expression on his face, then looked back at his fingers. There was no burn there. Silver didn't hurt him anymore. Eric looked up at Sookie, who shrugged, but Russell quietly said that at least now we knew what that blast of light healed in Eric.

He resumed his efforts of cleaning up my skin while Sookie's hands lit up. As soon as my forearm was clear, she touched up my skin, making sure to cover the entire area. Instantly, I felt myself mending, healing as her light entered my flesh. I sighed in relief.

And so they worked until all my wounds were clear, Russell joining in and fixing me up when Sookie started helping Eric with his job. Her face was hard and I could tell she was blaming herself for all of this.

"Sookie, thank you," I said and she smiled, her lips closed tightly. "Stop blaming yourself. This wasn't you fault."

She said nothing, but kept on with her work.

"Victor?" I asked.

"No news of him. He wasn't upstairs," Russell replied.

"Bill?"

"Dead," Eric replied this time, satisfaction in his voice. I chanced a look at Sookie and noticed the corner of her lip was slightly pulled up.

I had to know everything that had happened, but it would have to wait. When they were finished cleaning me up, I felt as good as new, although my ego was still broken. Such a rookie move I had made, I thought with a shake of my head.

We all went outside, making our way between the smoking crates. It seemed Russell had taken care of putting out some of the flames before he came down. Jason, now shifted back and wearing a pair of low-riding jeans, ran up to me and hugged me.

"I'm glad you're ok, Pam," he said. I was left shocked by his actions. It seemed this touchy-feely crap ran in the family. Rolling my eyes, I awkwardly patted his back and told him I was fine.

Once he released me I turned to everyone. "It's too late to return to Russell's. Where to?"

"My place?" Sookie asked.

"It wouldn't be safe since you're no longer human," the King said.

"My place is free. We could go there," Jason piped in and we all nodded.

I loved this! It was exciting, and we got to see Pam being freed and healed. I'd love to have read a bit more about the fight, but I also loved how fast-paced it was, too. Great job! I'll get started on 18 tomorrow or the next day. Love it!


	18. Float

Hi everyone! As promised, here is chapter 18. Be aware that this chapter is NSFW! A big thank you goes to InvertedMeridian for being my lovely beta again.

I'd like to ask you all to move over to my blog, which you can find on my profile - the address is gabrielleblue dot wordpress dot com. Things around this site have been going downhill for a while and who knows when or if my stories will get pulled because of all the lemons since the righteous brigade is on a war path again. I've told you about the blog before, but I'm reissuing the invitation to get you over there - you only need to subscribe to get the updates when they come or bookmark the page. I only post updates, so I won't be flooding your inbox.

That being said... enjoy

**Chapter 18 - Float**

Eric grabbed hold of Pam and I took Jason, while Russell choose to tail behind. I smiled as Jason's thoughts immediately went to Pam and how he could help. He wondered if perhaps she'd need for him to provide some blood, since he was, after all, the only human in the group. Well, mostly human anyway.

I had no issues if the two of them got up close and personal, and Pam truly needed some blood. I might have been able to heal her, but she was still weak after the night she'd had. I didn't even want to imagine what she must have gone through, and I hoped she'd never be put in that position ever again.

When Eric was removing the silver from her skin, I had noticed with some surprise that his own didn't burn at the contact. Russell had said something about that big burst of energy that happened what felt like forever ago, although really it was only a few weeks past.

If Eric was now able to touch silver without getting hurt, and Jason had become able to change into a full were, what was Pam able to do now? She obviously didn't have the same gift as our Maker.

We were getting closer to Bon Temps and I could see the small lake in the distance, which meant we'd soon be at Jason's place. I just hoped that the basement was easy to light-tight or we'd be in trouble come sunrise.

We all landed on the patch of ground in front of Jason's house and I was sad to see there was still yellow police tape on the porch. The ground where Michelle had died still held some of the evidence of the violent end she'd met. I quickly pulled up my shields to give Jason privacy with his own grief.

Eric came up behind me and kissed the side of my neck, goose bumps breaking over the spot. He was feeling exultant after the fight and the fact that Pam was safe had put him in a good mood. Don't get me wrong, he was still murderous, but right now the ones to blame weren't around.

"Jase, you have to invite us in," I told him.

He looked back at me, bewildered, before he remembered how much things had changed over the past weeks. A smile tugged at his lips as he turned back towards the porch, marching up the steps and ripping up the yellow tape. He grabbed the key from above the door and opened up. Once inside he issued the invitation for all of us.

Eric and Russell quickly found the basement entrance and went to investigate what needed to be done.

Jason went to the fridge, but stopped short of opening the door. He probably remembered how long he'd been away from home and exactly what smells could fill up the room.

I walked slowly into the living room, stopping in front of the pictures Jason had on the fireplace mantle. There was one depicting the both of us and mom and dad, on the pier behind the house. I couldn't have been older than five in that picture.

I had no pleasant memories of my mom, but dad I missed. He'd always been the one to hug me tightly before bed. He was the one who wasn't afraid of me. To him I was his little princes, not some freak.

Another picture was with Jase and me in the school yard. I had just graduated from high school and he was so proud of me. Gran had taken the picture that day.

Pam approached me, her fingers touching my shoulder.

"You were beautiful as a child, Sookie."

"Thank you. I'm sure you were quite the doll when you were small as well."

Pam took a second to respond. "I don't remember too many things," she said, her tone pensive. "I was a little pudgier as a child and I hated all the dresses my mother put me in as I always wanted to run around with the boys. Of course, that was frowned upon, but I always ended up in the same crowd. Scraped knees were a daily injury for her to tend. By the time I was a teenager, though, she never let me be myself, and then there was the arranged marriage they wanted for me. I am glad Eric found me when he did," Pam said.

I looked back at her and wrapped my arm around her waist. "I am happy he did, too."

There was silence between us for a few moments before I spoke again. "I am glad you're ok, Pam and I'm sorry we took so long to get to you."

"It's a good thing you held him back. Things would have been more difficult had you all came yesterday. It wasn't safe."

I nodded. I knew that. It didn't make me feel any better for how much she suffered, though.

Eric came into the room, Russell on his trail. "We need blankets, cardboard, some tape and anything else you can find to seal up the entrances and windows."

With such a firm order, everyone went to search for whatever they could find with Jason leading the way to some of the supplies we needed.

Fifteen minutes later we were about done locking the place down. There wasn't much we could do about really securing the place to make sure no one broke in, but Jason said he'd be on the lookout while we rested. He slept lightly anyway, so he'd hear if anyone came snooping around.

With one more hour until sunrise, Jason asked Pam if she'd like to feed, offering his blood. I could see surprise written all over her usually well-crafted poker face, which made me smile. Russell announced he would be downstairs reading as Eric tugged on my hand.

He led me outside, through the back door, scooped me up in his arms and flew us to the lake shore farthest away from the house. Placing me on my feet, he quickly closed the distance between us, crushing his lips to mine.

I could feel his urgency, his lust, his desire to feel close to me. I was surprised he'd lasted this long before attacking me considering the bloodlust I felt from him earlier while making our way through that goddamn warehouse.

His fingers worked through the buttons of my blouse with a lot more patience than I thought he would have. I tugged at his own shirt, my need and desire overwhelming me. My skin was ablaze everywhere he touched me and I thought I would combust.

I was suddenly reminded that I was indeed a newborn vampire as I attacked him. His belt ended up in pieces, while his pants only survived because he was the one to push them down. My leggings had disappeared somehow and he was backing me into the water.

The cool liquid made my skin burn even hotter as his hands traveled up and down my body, tugging moans from deep inside me. My hands wrapped around his neck and my legs found their way around his waist.

Perfect.

"Sookie," he uttered as I nicked his lip with my fangs, sucking on the small wound.

In two strides we were in deep water, his fingers finally going where I needed them most. He touched my pussy, matching the strokes of his fingers with those of his tongue, effectively making me feel crazed.

"Eric," I moaned as I struggled for some control over myself. He heard the pleading in my voice and pushed his cock into my folds, teasing me for a few seconds as he ground into me. I shifted my hips in frustration, seeking to get the angle that will finally send him into me.

I let out a strangled cry as he made his way inside of me, filling me up as only he could. Eric's lips were ghosting over my neck as his strong hands guided my ass up and down his dick.

With each stroke my body shook harder, my orgasm imminent. His fangs scratched my neck and that was it for me. I came hard, clutching to his body. A few seconds later he followed with a roar.

We stayed there, embraced, for a while, until the sky started to lighten. We didn't talk; we didn't need to. We already knew what the other was feeling and were just basking in our bond.

Finally, we went out of the water, dried off as best we could, got our clothes back on and flew back to the house. Jason was already snoozing on the couch in the living room. He rose a bit when we got in, saw it was us, and went back to sleep.

We descended to the basement, shut the door and covered it with a blanket and a bunch of duck tape. Pam and Russell were already laying on an old mattress in the far corner and we joined them on another one that had been placed near it.

"Tomorrow we look for Victor," Eric said. I could feel his anger boiling again and knew that once he got his hands on Victor, that'd be the end of him.

"I can't shake the feeling that there's something amiss here. I heard nothing of Felipe from Victor last night," Pam recalled.

"You think there's someone else behind this?" Russell asked.

"Either that or he's working alone."

"I don't think he has the balls to do this on his own. But maybe he's trying to get away from Felipe or maybe get into his good graces by getting control over Sookie."

"Sookie?" Eric asked, a tinge of surprise.

"Yes, he called her 'his telepath'."

Anger spiked through Eric and I had to remind him that there's no way that would ever happen.

Soon our discussion was put on hold as the Sun pulled us under.

The following evening we rose ready to go sketch a new plan. Jason would want to be in on it so we just waited until it was safe to actually get out of the light-tight basement to discuss things over.

Jason looked relatively fresh as we went up the stairs. It seemed he'd gotten some sleep at least.

"Hey, y'all. Everything was quiet today. Couldn't sense anyone around the property," he said.

Eric nodded in thanks before going over to the kitchen table. "Jason, do you have a map of the area?"

Once the map was spread out on the table, we began planning. We marked the place where Victor could be and a route to visit them all. Depending on how the plan went, we'd come back here or go back to Mississippi.

Before we could leave, I felt it. A vampire, approaching quickly.

"He's here," I said.

Eric's fangs ran out as he went for the front door, slamming it open. Twenty feet away from the door was Victor.

"I thought I'd find you all here. Nice stunt you pulled there. Faking your death, Northman? Tsk, tsk, tsk. All for a bloodbag?"

"Fuck you!" Eric said.

"Is she that fucking precious that you'd disobey your king?"

Anger rolled through me. I stepped out behind Eric and popped my fangs.

"Oh, I see. Even better, I suppose. Once Northman is dead, you'll become my bitch for eternity and I won't even have to sense all your fucking feelings through the process."

With that, Eric was speeding towards him, throwing a punch that put Victor ten feet back. Victor spit blood, but smirked at Eric.

"What the fuck do you think you'll get with this stunt, Victor?"

"That doesn't really concern you, now, does it? You'll be dead anyway."

Eric smirked, squared off his shoulder and took another few steps towards his prey. "Is that right?"

"I'll make sure of it," Victor taunted and lunged for Eric.

I was getting glimpses from Victor's mind. His plans for Felipe, for Louisiana, why he wanted me, what he'd done to get me, and I suddenly felt sick.

Eric was holding Victor by the neck, a foot up in the air, squeezing him with a sneer on his face.

"Eric, he killed Michelle," I said.

I heard a sudden ripping sound and a huge panther leapt forward from the house. Jason surged towards the two fighting vampires and with a quick jump, he snatched Victor from Eric's hand, slamming him to the ground, his heavy paws on his chest, his sharp teeth at his neck.

For a brief second, Victor's mind went to the puzzle piece I had been missing and then it all made sense.

The panther tore through the vampire's throat savagely, his head ripping from side to side, making sure to do as much damage as possible. It was my vision turning to reality once more.


	19. Glamour

Hey! Thank you all for reading and reviewing! It's always appreciated even if I don't always have the time to respond. Big thanks go to Inverted Meridian for going over my chappy for me.

There's one more chapter left and the epilogue. I'm a bit busy in the next few days, but I'll update by the end of the week. Hang in there! Love you all

PS - I'm sorry for the delay - this was supposed to go up yesterday, but Fanfiction didn't want to let anyone upload any updates.

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><p>It felt like time stood still when Victor's body turned to ash and blood in front of us. The panther's paws hit the ground as all was left of the vampire we all hated was a set of clothes.<p>

Jason was panting heavily over Victor's remains, his body still tense. He suddenly let out a strangled howl before he took a few steps back, away from the place he made his first kill. Jason turned around and started running towards the trees nearby, losing himself in the dark.

Eric and Pam both made a move to go after him, but I stopped them. "Let him get himself together. He's conflicted. He's not sure if to feel happy about killing Victor and revenging Michelle or sick for killing someone."

They both looked back at me and nodded. "Come on, I need to discuss something with you all before he comes back," I said, trying hard to sift through everything before laying it all out for my audience.

Eric and Pam followed me into the house, while Russell shut the door behind. I took the time to scan the area, making sure there was no one else tailing Victor as he had made his way over. I was still a little shocked by Jason grabbing Victor in that manner from Eric's hand. The way it all ended, however, wasn't that surprising. I had seen it all before, after all.

My brother had finally gotten revenge over the killer of his Michelle and I felt happy for him, although I was sad he had to take a life for it. The knowledge that someone lost his or her life because of your actions always weighted down on a person with any type of conscience.

"So, what did you find out from Victor?" Russell asked.

"That asshole served a purpose after all. I figured a lot of things from the memories flashing through his mind before he died and it's a lot to take in.

"Michelle's death is on him, which is something I suspected for a while. What I couldn't figure out was why he'd do it. Well, now I know. She had served her purpose; or so he felt. Michelle had been glamoured from the start. That's how she got into Jason's life – she was ordered to," I took a deep breath I didn't really need.

"She was supposed to report back on what Jason and I were doing and to make sure that Eric and I never got back together by playing the helpful friend for me. Victor wanted me to be all alone so I could be up for the taking whenever he saw fit.

"When I disappeared he assumed I had gone to Eric and while he was right about that part he put blame on Michelle for it. He saw it as her failing at her job and that's why she died. She has also apparently started asking questions – his glamour wasn't really doing its job. I think she had really fallen in love with Jason. The way Victor saw it, even if I hadn't gone to Eric, the fact that a vampire had killed off Jason's fiancé would be enough to turn me against vampires. "

Eric mulled this over, anger in his features. "I suppose his logic also dictated that Jason would be mad enough on vampires as a whole that he'd just interdict you from seeing me."

I snorted. "As if I'd ever listen to that."

"Back when Victor was turned that's how the world worked. Male members of the family had a say in who the women dated. It doesn't need to be real in your case for him to believe this to be a perfectly logical argument."

Russell nodded, mumbling about vampires who shouldn't have been turned in the first place.

"What else did you read?" Eric asked.

"Well, this is the part that gets trickier. We were right. He isn't working alone. All the fucking puzzle pieces finally fit in. It's Niall."

"What about Niall," Russell prompted.

"He's been working with Victor. Niall promised Victor his and his army's help to take out Felipe so he could become king over three states. They are moving forward tomorrow night. In fact, Victor was just coming from my house where he'd met Niall to iron out the last details."

"It still does not make sense," Eric said, his tone pensive. "If Niall offered to help Victor to become king, what does he get out from the entire deal? It is not in the nature of faeries to do anything from the goodness of their hearts."

"Me. Or at least that's what their deal was. Victor was supposed to kill you after taking over. Niall believes that would be the ultimate step that would send me over to the fae world."

Eric's fangs extended and he was growling low in his throat. I put my hand over his. I wasn't going anywhere.

"One thing that doesn't fit in the story is why Victor would hand me over. He's gone to all this trouble to torment me and Eric over the past months, I just can't believe he'd be ok with the deal. I believe there is something I didn't see, some part of Victor's plans."

"Maybe he was double crossing Niall," Pam suggested. "Maybe he was planning

to kill him and the rest of the fae with his brand new army."

Russell shook his head. "I don't think he was that delusional. He'd never have been able to kill Niall. There must be something else that the Prince offered him to make sure he goes forth with the plan."

"I agree," Eric said. "If Victor made a deal with Niall, then Niall would make sure he went through with it. He's no fool."

"But how would he believe I'd go to Fairy with him even if you got killed? I already told him "no" on a number of occasions."

"If Victor was supposed to kill me, then your connection to vampires would get cut abruptly and your hate for our kind would grow. I wouldn't put it above Niall for him to tell you that your pain of our severed bond would lessen if you go to Fairy."

"Yes, I wouldn't either. He has done worse things, after all. Starting with lying to me and putting his mojo on Jason and I to smell like the fae."

"The point is moot anyway," Pam jumped in. "You're no longer human."

"Yes, but he doesn't know that yet. And we'll use it to our advantage when we meet up with him tomorrow," I said, a smile spreading over my lips. It was time for Niall to get a reality check.

"You want us to stop him from killing Felipe?" Russell asked. His tone didn't reveal whether he believed it to be a good idea or not.

"I don't really care what happens to him. My beef is with Niall. Without Felipe, the throne of three states will be up for grabs and unless you want them all, none of us will step up. If Felipe doesn't get killed, he might carry on believing we're actually dead. I doubt Victor reported yesterday's activities."

"I don't think he did either. He was with me most of the night before he left for the morning," Pam said and I hated to think about what must have happened to her during her time with that bastard.

"Are they supposed to meet before killing Felipe?" Eric asked me.

"No, they're set to meet afterwards in the desert. Niall and his army will just pop in the palace, kill them and leave the same way. They don't expect much resistance, but Victor was supposed to be nearby to claim the throne as Felipe's second in command."

Eric and Russell exchanged a look. "It's settled then. Felipe dies tomorrow and we'll meet with Niall afterwards."

The door opened and Jason came in the room, both hands covering his privates. He said nothing as he moved to his bedroom, seeking clothes. Despite the embarrassed look on his face, none of us had it in us to crack a joke at his expense.

In a few minutes he was back with us, wearing a pair of slacks and a ratty T-shirt. "What did I miss?"

We all exchanged a look, but thankfully, he interpreted it as worry over his current state rather than over the entire Michelle situation. Before anyone else had the chance to say anything I stepped forward and hugged him.

"We're going to Vegas tomorrow," I said after I released him.

"Feeling lucky?" he asked, a smirk on his face.

"No. Niall will kill Felipe de Castro, the current vampire king of Nevada, Arkansas and Louisiana."

"Are we helping him? Thought we didn't like the guy."

"We don't and we won't," I said before explaining the situation to him.

It wasn't long before the inevitable question came. "Why did that vampire kill off my Michelle, Sook?"

I felt like my heart was breaking. "He wanted to piss you off enough that you'd ban me from seeing Eric, maybe even get the both of us to hate vampires."

That much was true, although the story wasn't anywhere near complete. I decided, however, that he didn't need to know. He'd just believe that simply because Michelle had been glamoured to walk into his life, her feelings for him were complete bogus. I knew for sure that wasn't the case, so why torment him?

Jase sighed but said nothing. He was thinking that he could never make me do anything against my wish and if Victor had thought that would work he surely didn't know enough about me. "Don't feel guilty, sis. It wasn't your fault," he said in the end, surprising me.

I hugged him again. He might have been an idiot most of the time, but my brother knew me. I didn't even have time to realize that in truth I was feeling guilty over Michelle's death.

"I'm turning in. Wake me up when you go into the basement, ok?" he said, kissed my temple and went into his bedroom.

I let out a puff of air and went back to the table where everyone else was sitting.

"Let's go over our plan for tomorrow, then."

Russell said he was setting up his private plane to come over to Shreveport and it would be a three hour flight from here.

"That should have us there in time to meet with Niall." They were planning for everything to take place at 10 PM. They wanted as many witnesses as possible to the king's death and there was no better time than scheduled court time.

"Have you decided, Russell?" Eric asked.

The quirky king raised an eyebrow. "Decided about what, Viking?"

"Taking over the three kingdoms."

"I have nothing to do with Nevada and Arkansas. Nevada is certainly a fucking ruin if that Spaniard was ruling it for so long. He has a bad reputation when it comes to business. Let's just say he could fuck it up even if someone else was doing all the work. As for Arkansas, it's basically a ghost state," Russell said and we all smiled, knowing just how right he was.

"As for Louisiana," he paused. "Maybe. I don't know. I'll see how I feel about it tomorrow. I'm inclined to take it over just because it's so close to my own state. You'd also be able to live here if you want to, without anyone bothering you."

"Thank you," I said, meaning it. "But think about your own interests. We might be leaving the states altogether. For a while at least."

I really wanted to visit Eric's homeland. I wasn't lying when we were faking that scene in Eric's house weeks ago. I wanted to see every last piece of land that was a part of his past. I wanted to see the world. I'd barely even left Louisiana my entire life and I didn't want to keep spending eternity in the same place.

"What do you want to do about Niall, Lover?" Eric asked.

"I don't know yet. He won't come after us if we let him live. He won't have the guts to do it, not after he finds out I'm Seraphim now. Not if Russell reveals himself too. I don't know if I want to kill him either. I'd rather he scratch his eyes out for losing the nuke he wanted so badly – me. But…" I trailed off, thinking about the thing that had been bothering me – how he planned to make sure I wasn't going to get locked off in Victor's prison somewhere.

"But?" Pam asked, her fingers drumming lightly over the table.

"But it depends on the glue that keeps together all these puzzle pieces I took from Victor's mind."


	20. Scheming

**HI everyone!**

I'm sorry. I know it's been a long time and I'm all out of excuses, except for saying my muse has been fucking with me. Regardless, here's some insight into Niall's mind. There's another chapter to go and maybe an epi. I should be able to deliver at least the chappy next week, so here's to hoping I actually have the needed time to write it.

I miss all of you and thank you if you're still interested in reading this story. Hugs to all of you!

Thanks go to Mer for going over this chappy for me. *gives Mer coffee*

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><p><strong>Chapter 20: Scheming<strong>

**NPOV**

If I was right about this, then it could be the end of the Vampire race as we know it. The only thing I had to make sure of was that Sookie came with me to Fairy.

It wouldn't be too hard, either, if things go according to plan. The last link she had to the Vampire world would be removed by night's end, Victor had said. If he knew what was good for him, he would deliver.

I sat down at the desk, rubbing my temples. I had played a complicated game and I could only hope that all the pieces fell into place. They had to, because my plan was perfect. I was the fucking Prince of the Fae!

It all began years ago, a lifetime for Sookie, a blink of an eye for me. When word had come that the Witches who lived right next to the portal were having a child, I knew that it had to be special or, at the very least, a reason to take a closer look.

It was a long shot, but there were predictions out there that a child would come, and that Seraphim always came from gifted parents of some sort. Such a child only came once every few thousand years, so it was important that I keep a close eye on things. And that's exactly what I did because, no matter what, the child should be on our side, helping us to eradicate the scourge that were Vampires. Even the Demons needed to be taken out.

So I started preparing things, putting things in motion before Sookie was even born. The portal to the Fae world was right behind the house she was born in, so it wasn't that difficult to pop over there and check on things. The boy they already had possessed no powers whatsoever and didn't seem to be too gifted with brain cells, either. The girl, however, you could see she was special from the first glance at her.

She, Sookie as they'd called her, had something extra about her. It could have been from her parents, but I was hoping it was from the Seraphim within.

Then there came the night that I had to take care of her parents, to get the water faeries to take them to an early grave. I needed to be able to make Sookie cherish family, and what better way to do that than to leave her with only her dimwit brother and an old woman? Eventually, I'd remove them as well and present myself as her only kin. Her instinct would tell her to be close to me, which was perfect after all because if she did manifest as Seraphim, she'd be mine - my most precious weapon.

The woman, Adele, hadn't had a magic bone in her body, but she'd seen enough from her husband and child that she would know how to take care of a child with special needs, such as Sookie was. Spies placed around the house told me that she had some sort of mental powers, which could only strengthen my belief that I was right.

I rejoiced then, thinking that I still had a few dozen years before her powers kicked in.

Then those fucking vamps decided to come out and I knew I had to do something. There was so little time left before she would start manifesting her powers which, by then, I was already sure she had. Her mind reading, which was the ability she turned out to have, would attract them like bees to honey. Her curiosity and the fact that humans treated her like she had the plague would inevitably put her in the path of one vampire or another.

I made a risky decision then. I went to her home and put a glamour on her, a spell that made it appear as if she were of fae descent. Just a small dose would suffice in making her appealing, but would not send a vampire into blood lust and get her killed. It would be enough, however, to bring out the beast inside them, to make her see that these were not creatures she'd want to be around. It would also help strengthen the idea that she was my long lost granddaughter.

For good measure, I did the same to her brother. Without a father around, he should be able to forbid her from seeing someone he did not deem worthy, and with the right incentive he'd end up hating vampires, too.

I decided then that I would have to meet her soon, formally, to play the part of distant great-grandfather. Blood runs thicker than water. Family ties would force her loyalty to our side and I would win her over.

Eventually I'd convince her to come to Faerie, and when she came of age her powers would either make her a Seraphim, or she'd remain a mere telepath, in which case I'd kill her. I was old enough to know that there was more to her, though. I was confident not only that she would turn out to be a winged weapon of mass destruction, but that she'd also be fighting for me.

Everything went as I had predicted and she did end up getting involved with vampires, and getting hurt time and time again because of them. I made sure to keep an eye on her until the time was right to reveal myself.

Of course she had to become involved with the one vampire whose name preceded him. The Viking, the bane of my existence, as it seemed to be. He was a dangerous enemy to have and I was sure that's what he'd end up being. When I take Sookie to the Fae world, when she became Seraphim, she wouldn't be able to kill him, no matter how many times I render him guilty of violence. Love was a powerful thing, but one that I would eventually succeed in killing within her.

I had to hide everything, though, so I followed tradition and pretended to care what the fucking fanger thought, pretended that I respected whatever fucking claim he thought he had over Sookie.

The introduction went great and everything went according to plan. While she was reserved towards me in the beginning, the idea of family duty laid heavily with her so she did exactly what she was expected to do. My little puppet.

She was becoming too involved with these vampires, though, so I had to take measures. I started working with Northman's enemies. Victor was a fucking idiot, but he was easy to control and he hated the Viking, so he'd help end him with a smile on his face.

I introduced him to Michelle and told him to glamour the woman to start dating Jason. It seemed like he wasn't playing into his brotherly role, letting his sister wander around like a fucking tramp with that Viking. If he wouldn't put his foot down against their dating, I had to make sure he would at least start hating Vampires as a whole.

Michelle was glamoured to keep an eye on Jason and Sookie and to report whenever anything of importance happened. She was also supposed to make Jason hate vampires.

At one point, I thought she wouldn't be needed anymore since Sookie had left the Viking for good. I rejoiced then, happy that she had come to her senses and that she'd be easy to drag into Fairy.

I set things up with Victor, made sure the deal was still intact. The plan was to help him become king of the three states by killing Felipe and his entourage. Victor would kill Northman just to make sure Sookie's affections were in the right place. I was even willing to sacrifice Jason if need be and if Northman's death wasn't enough to make her want to run away.

Victor hadn't been too happy with the idea of losing the telepath, but I had made sure to offer him something in return. Hunter. He was young, but that didn't mean he couldn't do simple jobs for Victor. And when he was older, he'd already know what he was supposed to do. Humans coddled too much, anyway. Let the child work his way through the world, face the toughness from a young age.

When I went to retrieve Sookie, however, she was nowhere to be found. I was furious. No one knew where she was and no one knew for how long she'd been gone.

But I knew how to put things back into play. Unfortunately for her, Michelle was a means to an end. What I didn't count on was for that brain dead brother of Sookie's to vanish, too. An explosion took place and security cameras showed that both of them had died in that goddamn bar, but I knew better. She'd resurface at one point or another and I'd snatch her in a heartbeat.

The plan to kill Felipe was already in motion and just in time, someone spotted Northman's childe who was supposed to be dead. I was sure then that Sookie was alive and that all she had to do was return home.

And there I was, waiting in the desert for the right time to deliver the final blows to Felipe de Castro. With a handful of fairies at my side, we popped into the palace. It all ended before it started. The vampires were too stunned to do anything and their heads were on the floor before they even realized what we were and how deadly we were.

It was anticlimactic, really. Why didn't Victor kill them himself if they were all such easy prey? This had been a waste of time and there were none of the feelings usually encountered in battle because there was no real fight. It was a massacre, for lack of a better word.

The air was dry and hot in the Nevada desert and I couldn't wait for Victor to deliver Sookie so I could be on my way. The wind was blowing softly and it was then that I sensed someone approaching.

I smiled at the sight in front of me. Well, well, well, Victor did deliver.

"Sookie," I greeted, "how great to see you."


	21. Long Live the Queen

In two days from now, it will have been three years since I've started Need. This is a huge amount of time for any writer to handle a story, especially one as short as Need has been, but alas, what's done it's done.

I've gone through times with zero inspiration, and other times with my muse whispering in my ear ideas for other stories, such as the many one-shots you read over the years from me. It's been a long journey, but it has finally come to an end.

Today, I'm publishing the last chapter of Need. There's only an epilogue on the way for this one, but it won't be something very long. I think I've tied up all loose ends and I hope I didn't lose anything on the way.

Thank you all for sticking with me through all of this and continuing to read Need even when I took the longest breaks imaginable. Thank you for reviewing and thank you for believing in me that I'd finish this story when even I didn't see an end to the complicated weave of ideas I started out with.

Also, thank you Karen for doing yet another chapter for me. Big applause to Inverted Meridian, guys! She's fucking awesome!

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><p><strong>Chapter 21 - Long Live the Queen<strong>

The sun had just set when we went upon our way that night. We had things to take care of before we left for Vegas and we all wanted to make sure everything went perfect once we arrived.

Stopping by one of Eric's houses was on our list since we had to get more weapons. We felt the need to be more prepared than logic told us was actually necessary. Having two vamps with firepower within reach didn't seem to come up when we were packing the bags. The idea was that Russell and I would at the very least try to keep our powers hidden for as long as possible.

It was also essential for me to meet Niall alone at first and have the others join me after a few minutes. I needed to figure out all the pieces of the puzzle and it wasn't like the old bugger would be able to drag me off to Fairy without my say-so.

I really hoped that he'd figure out he'd lost the game and just go home with his tail between his legs and leave me alone. If not, well… he didn't know who he was dealing with. Although I never liked it when someone's life ended as a result of my actions, I was not going to let him get away with hurting us.

I'd rather deal with him now than let Niall become a bigger problem for us in the future.

It all came down to whatever I could get from his mind and just how fucked up his plans were. I was already suspecting that he was hoping to use me as some sort of brood mare. His plans to have me vanquish all vampires were, however, so farfetched that I was surprised he even thought that I'd do this for him. Family or not, that wasn't something anyone with any sense of what's right and what's wrong would do.

Thoughts about Niall's plans plagued my mind and I didn't like any of them. I was looking at the problem from all directions and I could only see one outcome. The chances that he'd just back off were slim to none and I was in no mood to be fucked over by someone pretending to be a relative of mine.

The nerve! I groaned just thinking of how gullible I'd been to believe he was a long-lost relative, that any of the fairies who had since entered my life were anything other than actors and spies for Niall's games and plans.

I tried to relax a bit because I was afraid my hands would light up in anger and I'd accidentally burn the wrong person, like Eric, Pam, or even Russell.

I focused on the task at hand, instead – getting things together so we can all go to the airport and fly over to Nevada in Russell's plane. With a bit of luck, De Castro would be dead by the time we got there and Niall would have completed his end of the bargain.

Victor, for his part, would have sent his messengers ahead. I smirked, imagining the look on Niall's face when he saw me there.

"What's that smirk for, Lover?"

"Oh, you know, just imagining Niall's reaction tonight. I need to know his whole plan, but that doesn't mean I won't be having fun at his expense."

Eric wrapped an arm around my shoulders and drew me close. He really didn't like the idea of me facing Niall on my own because of his protective streak, but he was also rational and admitted that I was powerful enough to handle the Fae Prince and his cronies.

I didn't begrudge him for worrying, however. I knew that my newfound durability was still too recent for him to wrap his head around it, even if he was my Maker. The fact that I had all these powers hasn't registered fully, either.

On one hand, I knew that I _could_ be invincible in any battle I may have to face, but I also knew that it was all circumstantial. If I wasn't smart about it, I could lose my life and waste all the dreams I shared with Eric, with my new family. Eric knew this of course, and he was silently urging me to be cautious, to always be aware of my surroundings, of my enemies, and to avoid being cocky about the things I could do.

After all, he had survived a thousand years by knowing when to make a move and when to take a step back, when to use his strength, and when to keep the aces up his sleeve. It was not only a lesson I could learn from him because he was my thousand- year-old husband, but also because he was my Maker and that's the kind of thing vampire sires teach their new progenies – survival skills.

I knew I could be particularly hard-headed sometimes and careless in many occasions, especially when people I loved were in danger, but I had to temper myself some.

With that thought, I climbed the steps to the private plane Russell managed to get for us. Jason and Pam were already there and I was sure Russell would be there soon as well.

"Sis, can I have a word with you?" Jason said as he caught sight of me.

"Sure," I replied and climbed back down from the plane. If Russell wasn't here yet, there was going to be no lift-off. I'd also rather talk to Jase in a more private setting, even if said privacy was more or less an illusion with the heightened hearing vampires possess.

After walking for a couple of minutes on the tarmac, we slowed down and came to a stop. Jason suddenly embraced me, hugging me tightly. I was a little taken aback, but returned the gesture. I found that while his scent was appealing to me and the blood pumping under his skin was certainly making my fangs throb a bit, I didn't feel the huge urge to drain him dry.

I had gotten a bit better at feeding over the past weeks and the hunger had died down a bit, which was apparently quite a feat for a vampire as young as I was. Whether this had something to do with the fact that I had chosen this life rather than woken up into it or because I was a seraph, I did not know, but it was a welcomed development.

"Thank you, sis, for everything. I know you didn't have to do any of the things you've done for me and I'm the first to admit I ain't been the best brother out there, but I love you, ya' know?"

"I know, Jase, I love you too. You don't have to thank me for anything, hear me? It's what family's for."

"It's just that ever since Gran died, we went through so much. **You** went through so much and I wasn't always there for you as I should have been. I was getting better at it though, right? Especially since Michelle…" he said and choked up.

I soothed a hand over his back, while gently hugging him with the other. I really didn't want to break a rib by not minding my strength around him.

"It's going to be ok, you know… it's just not going to happen overnight. I've lost a few people in the past years; people I loved. You'll heal, eventually. It will get easier and easier to think about her, and you'll remember the good times and keep her in your heart always. Time will help," I promised.

"How do you do it? How **will** you do it?" he asked in a small voice.

I knew what he was referring to and I, too, had wondered about this. I was immortal now. This meant that everyone around me would eventually die. It was a sad truth that I had to live with for the rest of my days on this plane.

"I don't know, Jase. I truly don't know. You could become a vampire too, if you wanted to, you know."

"Yeah. I'm gonna think this one through, though. I'm not sure I'd want to live forever."

"I don't want you to ever die, but that's your decision in the end. I do want to know if, at any point in the future, you'd let me, Eric, or Pam bring you back as a vampire if it were a last resort, like an injury we couldn't cure."

I really hoped he'd agree to this. I knew that I'd given Eric enough grief about this in the past and he'd been deeply hurt by my words at the time. It wasn't just because I'd allow myself to die, but because I would be leaving him behind to face the world on his own without me by his side.

"Yeah, I think that'd be ok, although I do hope we ain't gonna get to that point. I mean, try keeping me alive first," he said and we both laughed.

"I'll do my best, big brother," I said and kissed his cheek, tightening my hold on him.

"You'll be ok out there, tonight, right?"

"Yeah. You'll see. Your sister can kick ass!"

"I know you can, Sook. I just want you to promise me you'll be careful."

"Promise," I said, not just for him, but for Eric too since I knew he was listening.

We stepped apart from one another as we noticed Russell approaching in the sky. As he landed, he started speaking, telling us he'd been talking to his husband and that they'd both take a state off Eric's hands now that de Castro was dead.

"What about the third?"

"Well, the way I see it you can both reign over it, leave it to Pam, or do whatever else you want with it."

Eric stepped towards us as we climbed the steps to the airplane. He had his poker face on, but I could feel the turmoil inside him. He'd never wanted to be king, to have such a responsibility. He was happy with his slice of land, his position as an underling, even if he was more than able to lead a state. His business knowledge and the way he had managed to build a fortune was proof enough that he knew how to keep his state afloat from a financial point of view, while the way his Area was organized proved he was more than able to handle a much bigger region.

Even so, he was reluctant to accept the throne because he wanted to travel the world with me. He wanted to show me the things that had enchanted him over the past millennia as we discussed.

"Pamela, would you care to be queen, my dear?" he asked.

Shock was written all over her features, although she quickly wiped it clean. Surely she had to know that Eric loved and cherished her and would back her up no matter what.

Eric smirked and waited for his progeny to speak up. When she did, Pam inclined her head.

"Master, but would you not be better suited for the job?"

"You'll do just fine, Pam. I'll have your back and so will Russell and Bartlett, I am sure. No one will contest your rule over the state," he said with a level look.

Pam mulled things over for a few seconds, before nodding. She turned to Russell and asked him if they had already decided which states they were going to pick so she would know which state was hers.

They then launched into a conversation about the transition period and what they were going to do now that they were all monarchs. I could sense Pam's happiness and read it in her mind. She still couldn't believe that Eric had chosen to give her the throne, even if she was more than aware of Eric's lack of desire to become a king. After all, she'd been with him for hundreds of years and he'd had countless opportunities to take a throne somewhere in the world.

I was sure that Pam was going to do just fine at handling a state. We'd help her establish her power and she'd have some strong allies, so I wasn't very concerned about whatever vamps would think she wasn't old enough or powerful enough to rule a state.

With us at her side, there would be no one willing to challenge her...unless they wanted to meet their final deaths.

We spent the rest of the flight in each other's arms, listening in on Pam and Russell excitedly chatting about the states they were going to take over, trying to decide which one would go to Pam and which to the Mississippi and Indiana kings.

The thought of what was to come, however, didn't really leave our minds and we kept going back to it. I could sense the bouts of fear rising from Eric; fear that he'd somehow lose me, that Niall would manage to drag me away to Fairy, that I wouldn't be able to face them all, that Eric himself would lose his life and countless other grim scenarios.

I tightened my hold on him and sent him comfort and love through our bond. Nothing was going to happen to me.

We soon landed in Nevada, collected our gear, and zipped to the desert. We were about three miles from where Victor was supposed to meet with Niall, so we set camp there.

I would go forward with Jason alongside me, while Pam, Eric and Russell would stay behind. I needed to get Niall's plan out before allowing the meeting to degenerate, as I knew it would. With the time and planning put in by Niall, there was no way he was going to back off immediately. The more I thought about it, the more certain I grew that he'd need to be forced to take the step back.

I kissed Eric one last time, pouring in my love for him and the trust that I'd be ok. Turning around, I took Jason's hand, pulled him close to me, and zipped to about a mile and a half away from the meeting point. There was no need to walk the whole way since Niall wouldn't be able to spot us from that distance.

I was wearing a deep blue dress; it was tight around me, but not so tight that I couldn't move. I looked like… me… human Sookie. And that was the whole plan to get information from Niall – prevent him from detecting that I wasn't human any more for as long as possible. Nature seemed to be playing in our favor since the wind was blowing from Niall's direction, rather than the other way around, which would help prevent him from sensing I was vampire now.

We approached the meeting spot and I could instantly see a frown then a smile on Niall's features. He was there with about a dozen other fairies, all armed with swords that were nearly certainly made out of silver since iron was obviously out of the question.

"Sookie, how great to see you," Niall greeted and my stomach churned._ Fucker._

"Great-grandfather, pleased to see you, too," I lied through my teeth and plastered the Crazy Sookie smile on my face.

"I thought I was going to see Victor," he said, cautiously looking me over and barely glancing at Jason.

"He said he'd be here soon, but sent me on ahead. He thought we could catch up before you two talk through whatever it is you need to chat about. Good thing Jason is with me, though, or I'd have been afraid to wander around here without him by my side."

Niall smirked, certainly thinking that Jason wasn't much for protection anyway. Oh, how he was wrong.

"How was your trip with Victor? Uneventful, I hope," he tried.

"Oh, I gave him grief about it, but when he told me that I was going to be meeting you, I relaxed a bit. Not too much, though. You know how nasty them vamps can be," I said, trying my best to fool him.

"I wasn't aware Jason was going to come too," Niall added, letting some annoyance trickle into his voice.

"I wasn't going to leave without him. He just went through some terrible times, unfortunately, as his fiancé was murdered a few weeks ago. He didn't want to be alone and he's my brother after all," I told him, reading his mind in the process.

That fucker even let a small smirk play at his lips before his poker face was back on. My blood boiled as I figured that he must have ordered Victor into glamoring Michelle into Jason's life.

"I had no knowledge of this," Niall said. "I'm sorry to hear it, Jason. I'm sure you'll be fine in Fairy, too, since you are of our blood, after all, even if you do lack the essential spark."

Jason kept quiet as we had planned, but nodded politely. He'd have done a lot more if he'd just heard what Niall thought about, which was an accident that would leave me without Jason as well. The Fae prince didn't like me having any other relatives than 'himself'.

"We're going to Fairy? Victor didn't say anything about it, not that he's much of a talker," I probed.

"He wasn't supposed to. I wanted to talk to you about this. I hope you'd join me in Fairy since this realm is no longer safe for you."

"Why is it not safe anymore? What happened?"

"There are too many vampires and staying here will most certainly get you killed, my dear, something that I do hope we can avoid since I am rather fond of you," he lied through his teeth.

I sighed and nodded. "I understand. But, what are you doing here? In the middle of the desert?"

Niall smirked and for the first time I saw the deadly creature lying right beneath the surface. His cronies didn't move a muscle the entire time we were talking, but I was sure they'd form a wall around Niall in no time.

"I don't see why I shouldn't tell you. After all, you have no more connections to the vampire world. I and the fairies in front of you have helped kill Felipe de Castro, the vampire king of Nevada, so that Victor can take on this job."

I gasped for effect and covered my mouth. "But why would Victor need your help?"

"Because he has a very small following and he needs to show that he has strong allies that will help him lead the tri-states."

"So you're an ally of the vampires now? After all the talk you did about how vampires can't be trusted?" I turned indignant, something that I thought would be appropriate.

"No, not really. I helped him because he could help me. I had him make sure you were safe and unharmed as you join me in Fairy."

"So you told him that I'm coming with you to Fairy and he agreed?" I scoffed. "What did you promise him in return since I don't see him willing to part with the telepath of the kingdom?"

That took him by surprise and he kept quiet. I pushed. "Oh come on, grandpa, if there's one thing that I've learned it's that vampires aren't willing to let go of what I can offer them. There have been so many hunting me for what I can do," I said, letting the tiredness and sadness flow into my voice.

I was looking at the ground, playing the role, when his thoughts finally landed on the one thing I was missing. I knew then what his plans were, from top to bottom. How he controlled me and put my life in peril from my very first days, how he was an active part in all the sorrow in my life, and how he planned to kill all those around me, including Eric, Pam and Jason...and how he was offering Victor another telepath in trade for me. Hunter.

Little Hunter had barely started school. He was just a child and Niall wanted him to listen in to all the gory details going in a vampire court. What the fuck was wrong with him.

I was beyond furious and I was done chitchatting.

"There's no trade, Sookie. It's a fair deal, I helped him become King and he helped get you here safely."

"Bullshit!" I screamed at him, my eyes finding his.

The wind changed direction then and the second his nostrils flared, I knew he could now sense that I was no longer human.

His soldiers drew their weapons, ready to fight, but I was quicker. I rose off the ground and spread my wings, letting them all see them. A chorus of gasps accompanied my show of power as the moonlight bathed my feathery wings in light.

"I was right!" Niall bellowed. "You _are_ a seraph! That's spectacular, Sookie! Now you can come and help your family fight against the scour of the earth."

"You?! My family?" I guffawed. "Niall, dear, you need to know right about now that I can read your mind, you dirty old bastard. Giving Hunter to Victor?! What the fuck is wrong with you?!" I was outraged and threw a ball of fire at his feet.

I knew that now Eric, Russell and Pam would be joining us soon. I heard the distinct ripping sound made by Weres when they were changing and I noticed Jason taking a few steps in front of me, his shiny black fur shining in the moonlight.

Niall took a step back from the fire, shocked at what I had done, and his soldiers mimicked the stance before forming a wall around Niall. As if that'd help…

"Sookie, what are you talking about?"

"I know all you've done. I know all about your plans and I am not going to go with you to Fairy. I am not going to fight against vampires because I will not fight against my own kind!" I yelled at him.

Confusion was written all over his features before I dropped my fangs.

Niall bellowed a terrible cry, clenching his fists in despair. So much time he'd wasted on this project, so much deception and effort, all for nothing.

"You became a vampire?! What is wrong with you, Sookie?! Can't you see how awful these creatures are?"

"They're not much worse than you are, to be fair. All the grief you caused me, all the nasty, nasty things you did to get to this point… I've seen some nasty shit, Niall, but nothing like what you've done. At the very least, I have people who love me at my side."

And with that Eric and Pam flew in and so did Russell, each at either side of me.

Niall's eyes widened at the sight of Eric, knowing that Victor had not kept that side of his deal and probably realizing that his partner in crime was dead. Angry, he shot a ball of electricity towards Eric, causing him to fly higher, Pam clutched into his arms. He'd turned his back in the process, trying to shield her from any attack.

Another shot followed close behind, this time landing squarely in his back, causing his arms to limp at his side and for Pam to drop from his hands. I screamed, sending a healing orb towards Eric. It absorbed into his skin, immediately helping him to heal from the wound inflicted by my pretend-grandfather.

Russell zipped towards Pam, but it seemed that she didn't actually need any help. For some reason Pam was now flying. She was suspended in the air trying to get her bearings and figure out how to control this. And then it clicked for me - the healing explosion from Russell's training room. Jason became able to turn into a full Were, Eric became immune to silver, and Pam, it seems, became able to fly - she had always been annoyed that she hadn't inherited that ability from Eric.

Seeing that they were both ok, Russell came to my side, making his wings visible to the enemies in front of us.

I smirked at Niall. "That's right, he's like me and you're completely fucked!"

With that I swooped in and threw a ball of fire into one of the young fairies flanking Niall. Russell followed suit, while Eric, Pam and Jason attacked from the ground. I saw Eric getting cut by the sword of one of the fae men and the bewildered look on the man's face as my Viking didn't even flinch due to his new-found immunity.

The look soon turned into one of agony as Eric's own sword made its way into the fae, turning him to dust. Pure iron swords were surely helpful to have around when fighting these creatures and Eric had an entire arsenal.

One by one, our enemies died. Jason took down a couple, while Eric and Pam also killed their share. Mine and Russell's fireballs also did quite a bit of damage until the only one left was the slimy old bastard.

Niall jumped to his feet after stumbling over the weapons of his lost comrades. I landed a few feet in front of him and Russell did the same. Eric and Pam zipped to my side as well, while the panther was touching my leg with its tail.

I jutted my chin out at Niall. "Back off. Step down. Don't mess with me and mine ever again and I'll let you live. Go to Fairy and lock down all portals. I don't want to see you ever again. If I do, you're going down and I will find a way to come into your realm, the place where you so nicely wanted to take me against my will and breed me like a mare in hopes of creating an army of Seraphim to fight your battles for you, and I will decimate the entire fae population."

He stared at me in horror. His mind was in overdrive, going a mile a minute. He couldn't believe I'd do all this.

"Oh, I _will_ do this. You killed my parents, you probably had a hand in killing my gran, too and you planned to kill Jason as soon as he was in Fairy with us. You asked Victor to kill Eric. Don't think for a second that I will not follow through on my promise," I responded to his thoughts and he gritted his teeth.

I guess he was still hoping I was bluffing about being able to read his mind as a book now.

"Niall," Russell said, "I'd do as she said if I were you. Even if she backs down, I will hunt you down in her place. Seraphim are not weapons for someone like you to control. We are more than you'll ever be able to comprehend." His hands lit up for emphasis, making Niall unconsciously gulp.

Eric, in all his glory, stepped forward. He looked fierce as he glared down at Niall. Suddenly his hand was around the man's throat, lifting him off the ground.

"You dare try to take my bonded and pledged away from me? You dare try to kill me? You dare think that you will ever be able to control someone like Sookie?" he asked, squeezing tighter and tighter.

"Fuck you," Niall spat.

Eric threw him to the ground in response. I stepped over him, looming over his form with my wings spread out.

"Go home, Niall. It's the only chance you have at living."

"You'd kill me? After all I've done for you?"

I snorted. "Not _for_ me, but _to_ me, you asshole. I don't like killing, Niall, but I'll do it if I have to."

"Come with me to Fairy, Sookie, and I'll forget all about the way you're acting now. The vampires won't need a telepath and Hunter can take over for you if they decide they absolutely need one," Niall said and I looked at him in disbelief.

Was he serious? "He's FIVE! And he'll never be anyone's puppet if I have anything to do with it. What the fuck makes you think I'll come with you? Are you deaf or stupid?"

He had clearly gone mad. "Fine, then you leave me no option, Sookie." He jumped to his feet, his sword at the ready.

Before he could take a step forward, he was dust. Eric's patience had reached an end, and he had stepped forward and swiftly removed Niall's head in one move as the fairy's eyes were on me.

I groaned in frustration and sent an orb of fire to the place where his body had disintegrated. Motherfucker!

I was in Eric's arms in a flash and all else seemed to fade away. I calmed down instantly and I could sense his influence through the bond. I welcomed it; I cherished it. I couldn't let that bastard affect my life any longer.

"I'm sorry, Sookie, I know you wanted to do it, but it would have hunted you for a long time if you had. He's been much too big a part of your life in recent years for things to be any different. I don't want that for you, Lover."

"I know. I tried reasoning with him, tried getting him to back the hell off, but it seems that Niall had gone aboard the cuckoo train leading straight to Nutville. He was delusional to an extreme."

"I'm sure the shocks he had tonight, first finding out that you really were a Seraph and then that you're a vampire, didn't go well with him."

Breathing out a sigh, I knew that he was right. We took a step back from each other and found our friends and family looking back at us. Jason was back to his human form, dressed in a change of clothes Russell had carried with him when approaching us.

"Let's go deal with y'all's new kingdom," I said, jutting my chin towards the lights of Las Vegas.

Russell grabbed hold of Jason, while Eric and I took Pam by the hands and slowly levitated off the ground, trying to help her get her bearings. She smiled at me then and thanked me.

"I guess it was always in you, sis, you just needed a push," I joked and she smiled again. It was such a rare sight when Pam's mask was on, but it something that I was growing accustomed to. In the end, I, too, would need to develop a persona to show off to the world around me, something different from the woman I was within my own circle of friends.

I knew I had to worry about the faeries that would come looking for Niall, and the imminent war that was likely to start if the tinkerbelles of the world were stupid enough to retaliate. I wasn't too concerned about the outcome of those fights, however, not with the backup I had and with the powers within my reach, but I did hope it wouldn't come to bloodshed. Or whatever, since faeries turned to dust and they'd be the ones making up most of the death count.

Until then, however, we had politics to deal with before starting my adventures with Eric – traveling around the world. The first place on that list was my Viking's place of birth...

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><p>Once more, thank you for reading. Reviews are love, as always.<p>

xoxo


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